Radio/Communications Fag here (as old Voat-res know): Get a good SSB CB Radio and put up a good quality ground plane or NVIS antenna for the CB band. That will give you solid coverage on transmit out to about 100 miles. More range if you get a linear amplifier (not and old "Slider"). You can get a program for your laptop that will send and receive Packet Radio, which is text and data. You hook that to the CB Radio and search the upper bands until you hear what sounds like bursts of data. Read up on Packet Radio and the other data modes. I'll post more details if anyone is interested. You can set up a BBS too. There are a few out there already.
Radio/Communications Fag here (as old Voat-res know): Get a good SSB CB Radio and put up a good quality ground plane or NVIS antenna for the CB band. That will give you solid coverage on transmit out to about 100 miles. More range if you get a linear amplifier (not and old "Slider"). You can get a program for your laptop that will send and receive Packet Radio, which is text and data. You hook that to the CB Radio and search the upper bands until you hear what sounds like bursts of data. Read up on Packet Radio and the other data modes. I'll post more details if anyone is interested. You can set up a BBS too. There are a few out there already.