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Morgan Hill AREDN Node on 2.4 GHz CH -2 ..... Would like neighbors!!!

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wa2kwr
Morgan Hill AREDN Node on 2.4 GHz CH -2 ..... Would like neighbors!!!

CQ, CQ, CQ 13cm, Hello 13 cm,

I have just installed a node on 2.4 GHz CH -2, running 10 MHz Channel width in Morgan Hill.

It is listed on the AREDN Map and it tunnels to my other nodes in Laguna Niguel (Socal).

To accommodate the greatest number of new hams wishing to try mesh in this area, I am running a Ubiquiti Bullet M2 with a 15 dBi omni vertical and my QTH is at a ground elevation of approximately 450 ft above MSL.

Please see my coverage map below, these are test points where I hand carried a NanoStation M2 at ground level and was able to establish a neighbor relationship with the base at my home. With higher gain antennas and devices, much greater coverage is possible covering most of Morgan Hill, parts of San Martin, and possibly parts of Gilroy as well. The yellow lines were tests that were made with the base antenna inside the garage. The blue lines are the extended coverage gained by moving the system outside on the roof.
 





            




















So please look for WA2KWR-20-Morgan-Hill on Ch -2, I would like to see some neighbors soon. TNX

73,
Frank
WA2KWR
K6AH
K6AH's picture
Nice to hear from you...
Hi Frank,

Nice to hear from you.  Hey, how many hams do you recon you'll find in that farm land?  Hi hi.  Hope it's going well with your new job. There's KE6MTO-QTH-5, a 5 GHz node approx 17 miles to your south.

Andre, K6AH

PS.  What's with the BBHN references?  Let's get current ;-)


 
wa2kwr
Hi Andre,
Hi Andre,

Actually quite a few. With open spaces and few of those evil HOA's, it is common to see low band antennas. This is also WISP country, so I am hoping that some of the hams might be willing to play with the microwave links that the WISP's are using. 

I will fix the branding on the next rev.  :)

Great to hear from you. Are you also on DMR?

73,
Frank
wa2kwr
Hi Andre,
Hi Andre,

I will do a Google Earth path analysis to see if the path to KE6MTO is feasible from a terrain perspective.  From the shading on the AREDN map and my knowledge of the local topology, it doesn't look promising. 

I am trying to talk up the AREDN web site on the local repeater net. However, overall don't you find it somewhat ironic that Silicon Valley adoption of the technology is very sparse compared to Socal.

I am wondering if it might be worthwhile to try to encourage DMR repeater operators to look at adding AREDN backbone links so that the system is not so dependent on commercial internet. 

Thoughts? 

73,
Frank 
KE6UPI
I have DMR and AllStarLink
I have DMR and AllStarLink repeater. I'll put on the AREDN network and see if it can handle a hop or two down the network.

David
KE6UPI
wa2kwr
Hi David,

Hi David,

Where are you located? 

Or where is the repeater site?

I would like to give it a try. Both my Morgan Hill and Laguna Niguel sites are internet gateways and I have a VPN tunnel from Norcal to Socal.

73,

Frank 
WA2KWR
 

KE6UPI
I located in Murrieta, CA
I located in Murrieta, CA down south by LA. I just tried my dvmega and it works good on the aredn network. I have 3 hops to the internet.

Once the HB_link software comes out of beta I'll build a DMR network using aredn's network for learning.

David
KE6UPI
wa2kwr
Hi David,
Hi David,

Happy to hear that you are actively researching DMR over AREDN mesh.  Unfortunately, it sounds like neither of my sites will help you much. We are actively running VoIP using SIP phones over the mesh. I run a PBX out of my Laguna Niguel site.

73,
Frank
WA2KWR

 
wa2kwr
Hi Andre,
Hi Andre,

Here is the Google Earth elevation profile for the path of WA2KWR Morgan Hill to KE6MTO in Holister. Unfortunately, no direct connection is possible. :(

Elevation Profile

I drove down as well to verify the terrain. The mesh will need a few more hops before I see KE6MTO.

73,
Frank
WA2KWR
KE6MTO
Need a node on Fremont Peak or Loma Prieta
Unfortunately here in Hollister we will be a bit isolated geograhpically. Really need to get a club that has gear to put a node on Fremont Peak or Loma Prieta. Right now I have a tunnel connected to the Berkeley group. As others have said I'm suprised there isn't more in the greater San Jose area. There is an extensive group in the central valley in the Turlock/Mariposa area. Would be great to get a RF link into that group. 

Chris
KE6MTO
wa2kwr
Kickstarting AREDN mesh activity
Hi Chris,

Please keep in touch. Even if we can find someone in Gilroy, we might be able to get started. My Morgan Hill location is at an elevation of 450 ft MSL. I have an omni with gain so that I can accommodate people from multiple directions. We simply need to get more people interested. RACES is a good bet, DMR is another.

I have been running tests on my LoRaWAN gateways on 915 MHz and I get just south of Gilroy on just 100 mW. One of those gateways is on a unity gain discone antenna!

73,
Frank
WA2KWR
 
KE6MTO
LoRaWAN
What are you using for LoRaWAN? Been toying with the idea of making some motes for weather monitoring and tracking here in the county. Collect that on an off internet "Server" connected to the mesh to service the county in the event of an emergency. Want to get something setup to show off to the local club to get buy in. More or less a APRS like system. Kinda like the LoRa system that some hams setup in the south (https://github.com/travisgoodspeed/loraham). Then I can feed that into the site I created for the county www.sensesbc.com. Overall concept is data could be available on the internet when connectivity permits it otherwise primarily for off internet. My plan was to create the motes in the 440 Mhz band due to better overage and availability of antennas. Couple that with off the shelf wireless MCU overall costs could be low. 

Chris
wa2kwr
LoRaWAN

The gateways that I am operating are a Cisco IR910 and a prototype from Semtech. I believe that the TTN gateway is now available as a low cost option. 

You might want to look at this device if you are looking for something that can behave like APRS https://www.digikey.com/products/en?keywords=Namote%2072 If you can find the version with the SMA populated, it will save a small modification step to allow you to use an external antenna.


While LoRaWAN on 433MHz is available in some countries,  it is not Part 15 legal here and you would need to identify to be Part 97 legal.

You could also build some interesting beacons using the LoRa phy layer on an Arduino. I did this in the 915 band. This could be done legally on 433MHz. Have a look here:  https://github.com/fcolumbu/LoRa_Projects


Frank 

KE6MTO
Tunnel
Frank,

Are you running a tunnel server on your node? I've been tunneling to Berkley but the address is no longer valid.

Chris
wa2kwr
Tunnel
Hi Chris,

Yes, I tunnel to my other nodes in Laguna Niguel.

If we can ever derive a path to connect, you will see the Orange County Mesh and then some!

73.
Frank
wq1k
Node coming in Los Altos Hills
Hi Frank, I'm in the process of organizing a test site here in Los Altos Hills at the site of our 2 meter repeater. It is also about 450 feet above sea level, but I'm not sure how clear the shot is to Morgan Hill. I would love to chat with you live about this if you have a moment sometime. Best, Dave WQ1K wq1k@gilmour.net
kj6ffp
I am quite curious to hear
I am quite curious to hear how both of your testing goes.  

I am also hoping for something on Loma as well.  I am on the Santa Cruz County side and know that Loma will would be perfect to link all of our counties together plus Monterey as well.  
 
wa2kwr
WA2KWR-20-Morgan-Hill now has a tunnel path north and south
Hi All,

WA2KWR-20-Morgan-Hill now has a tunnel path north to Berkeley and SF and south to Southern California and many points beyond!

I would still like to see some more activity in Morgan Hill, San Martin and Gilroy.

CQ CQ CQ 13cm Hello 13cm DE WA2KWR K

73,

Frank

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