[aprssig] HELP: An ambitious project

[John Gleichweit]

I was recently hired by our County Library as an IT support tech, and in visiting all the different branches, I've come to find that they are all well situated to be CWOP stations. Since I know that the braintrust on this list is rather versed in APRS and CWOP issues, here is the info and questions:

There's 33 different branches that are candidates for this experiment, ranging from ~5000' in the mountains (2 branches) to the valley floor, including 3 branches in the foothills. There are 11 metro branches, with the rest of the branches essentially solo in their respective communities. All of the branches have internet connectivity via a (minimum) T-1 line (yes, even the mountain branches). 

There is a mix of County-owned and leased buildings. In the case of the leased buildings, all equipment would have to be easily removable. All installations would have to have prior approval (which is why I'm doing my research for a proposal). 

There are plenty of surplus computers available that could be used as display stations for the weather stations, and would act as the interface between the weather stations and the internet. 

This is an ideal opportunity (IMHO) for some additional learning to take place, which is the basic mission of libraries. 

My questions: 
What would be the best suited equipment and software for an installation such as this. 
Would an equipment manufacturer be willing to give a discount for a large quantity (I'm thinking 36 units, so there are spares), or would a software provider be willing to grant a bulk license? What about a direct donation with sponsorship perks?

I'm considering a simple pallet-mounted tripod with a 10' mast placed on the roof, held down by bags of concrete for the less-permanent installations, and a wireless/solar system for those locations. Thoughts?

I'm trying to get a little direction in putting together this proposal, since I have to put it together for the County Librarian, and the people who provide the network resources to the remote locations. I'm also going to be trying to put together the funding through either donations of cash or equipment from whatever sources I can. 

Reply either directly or on the list. TIA, guys!

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