Date: February 2024
Amount: $50,914

The Online Amateur Radio Community (OARC), predominately based in the UK and Ireland, comprises about 2000 members, with the core of this group having an interest in developing, innovating, and advancing digital communications via packet radio. One of OARC’s interests involves New Packet Radio (NPR), first emerging in 2019 and operating on 70cm, followed by the second generation (NPR-H), which was developed and deployed in 2021 by Steffen DO5DSH of Localino. Building on NPR-H, OARC seeks to develop an NPR with both upgraded 70cm capabilities and the ability operate on 2m and 23cm.

This grant will provide funding for OARC to collaborate with Localino to develop, create, and test the next version of New Packet Radio (NPR) software and hardware; implement it throughout Ireland and the UK; and make these resultant NPR devices available globally for use in both emergency communications and amateur data networks.