DIGITAL CONNECTION

A High-Speed Network Grows in Seattle

Amateur radio’s continuing convergence with the internet is nothing new, but it’s always fascinating to see how new ideas are implemented. This month, we will examine HamWAN, a wide-area network growing in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

HamWAN <https://hamwan.org> is a non-profit organization that has developed a set of standards by which anyone with sufficient motivation can become certified to join the network. Because the use of the internet is not only allowed, but required, it isn’t necessary to build an RF link to Seattle to build a HamWAN where you live. Contrast this with something like TARPN <https://tarpn.org>, which insists on using radios for all links: Both are really and truly amateur radio. Just as with SSB and RTTY, they are developed and designed to serve different purposes, and you as the ham get to pick what it is you want from your hobby.

Standards are nice, since they tend to converge on best practices, but HamWAN has put these standards to practical use by building the Puget Sound