New Node Deployments
Along the same lines as W4ZD's tower deployment, I came up with a 8dbi antenna and RAK Solar Enclosure mounted on a 1.25" PVC pipe. The pipe length is about 5 feet, and counter-balances the antenna which extends beyond the pipe. The pipe is capped at both ends, with D-ring shackles attached, one on the top to hoist the device, one on the bottom to help orient the solar box towards the sun. The photo shows one of these up about 40 feet in a tree (TCM0). We have deployed another one in Unionville with KM4ZDK (TCMX), also up about 35 feet in a tree. I hoped that we could establish line of sight comms between the two, but there is a hill just north of the airport that interferes.
Next step is to deploy another unit on Rocky River Road at a location that is pretty much on the same level with me and Unionville, and should skirt around that hill blocking direct line of sight to Unionville. We also plan to put one up in Stallings, and another in Wesley Chapel (which has good elevation). The more the merrier.
The cost for each one of these as configured (all Mestastic parts from Rokland.com) is about $175. Cost of mounting is another $15.
Like W4ZD, since elevating my unit I see a lot more nodes, but tracerouting back to them is pretty lean. I suspect that foliage has a lot to do with that right now. All the more reason to try and get the antenna up above the crown of the tree.
