Hacker News front pageMargo Anderson3 min readintro
This Digital Radio Gets Messages to the World’s Remotest Locations
Summary
HERMES is an open‑source digital shortwave radio system that runs on 20 W HF transceivers (3–30 MHz) and can reliably send files over 400–600 km links, with optional encryption. A pilot with Bangladeshi fishers demonstrated SOS GPS transmission and rescue without any terrestrial network.
- HERMES uses a software stack on HF radios (3–30 MHz) with ~20 W output to achieve 400–600 km links, enabling file transfer over shortwave.
- The system can send arbitrary files (photos, GPS logs, manifests) and includes optional encryption for sensitive deployments.
- A pilot in Bangladesh showed a fishing boat transmit its GPS and SOS over HF, enabling a rescue 100–200 km offshore.
- HERMES leverages the ionosphere as a passive reflector, avoiding the need for terrestrial infrastructure in remote or off‑grid areas.
Engineers building communications for remote or disaster‑response scenarios need low‑power, infrastructure‑free data links; HERMES shows a practical HF‑based solution.
5/10
