This morning Ben and I set off to Goodlie Hill (where we currently have a wireless node on the existing network) to erect one of the NanoStations on an 8m pole. It was configured as an Access Point and called Roam1. After powering it up from the pickup and testing it, we managed to prop it up against the tree where the existing equipment is with its foot resting on the deck pickup. Once it was up there it could 'see' three of the Nanos at the village hall.
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| Temporary installation at Goodlie Hill |
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| Temporary installation at Maisongill |
We then drove up to Maisongill in my car and stopped at the highest point on the track leading to the farm. There we erected the second Nano on a 5m pole. It was configured as Station and called Roam2. Unlike last week, we got a good connection to Roam1 at Goodlie Hill and even managed to connect to one of the Nanos at the village hall. From the point where we were stood we could see the Maisongill farmhouse as well as those at Grange Hall and Asby Grange.
These results demonstrate that our original plan to install a new wireless node at Maisongill to serve farms at that end of the village is justified provided we can design and install a suitable mast and renewable energy solution to support the node at the right height and power it. A node in that position will be able to connect back to Goodlie Hill with a strong signal and, if necessary to the village hall.
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| Readout on the screen from Roam2 at Maisongill |
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| Voltage inverter and power-over-Ethernet (PoE) unit powering Roam2 |
A couple of hours spent looking at the 1:25,000 OS map and drawing land profiles proved to be a useful exercise as the predicted outcome of the survey was matched reasonably closely by our results.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. And we also managed to clear the trees that aren't marked on the map!
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