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Bus CB audio + data?

hoffmanc

Jul 21, 2012
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Retrofitting a Rural Bus System CB Radio Installation

I wonder if I could retrofit an existing bus system's CB system with a linux-based solution? How much would this cost for the base station plus each bus? Would the range be the same as for the existing audio CB?

Thanks.
 

(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
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Jan 21, 2010
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Ummm... Linux isn't a radio.

Are there CB radios that run Linux (are you planning on setting up a Beorwulf cluster of them?)

If they exist, surely you can check out their specs for yourself.
 

hoffmanc

Jul 21, 2012
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I was thinking some kind of interface card or some such. Maybe it is far fetched.
 

donkey

Feb 26, 2011
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this isn't far fetched. a telephone was used to carry voices, now it carries streams of data. the UHF band for television used to be analog now its digital(that is the same as a computer)
the interface is the issue. how well do you know programming? and electronics?
you need to creat a card for the PC to interface with the CB, then you need a program and drivers to pass information through.
the issue is not "can it be done?", the issue is cost/time and how important?
 

hoffmanc

Jul 21, 2012
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Yeah don't people do this for shortwave already? We're trying to get away from cell phones with GPS and cellphone data plans.

I figured it was already ubiquitous.
 

donkey

Feb 26, 2011
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with the world of arduino and picduino and raspberry pi the way of doing this is getting easier.... if you know how to program, and have a basic grasp on electronics... or a really good internet connection to find other people who have tried this out.
I must point out a few fundamental problems, the first is legally you cannot continually transmit over a public frequency like CB radios. it is to be used for short transmissions so model your design around a short transmission. also have fail safe on the thing, for example hook it up to light on the roof for example or buzzer as gps can be a little inaccurate when you homebrew it.
 
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