So any ideas for outdoor deployment with the lollypop setup? That is water proofing the bucket where the pipe penetrates and the top of pipe/mast? We have thought about deploying a few of these along a parade route with cameras (X-Mas later this year) but would need to be water proofed in case of rain. I have a few ideas but would like to hear what anyone else has. The router would be placed in a exterior grade irrigation box at the top, still trying to figure the best way to weather proof the camera.

On the other hand..the 10' height of the standard lollypop height may not be enough. I guess it would depend on distance apart and LOS.

Among other thoughts, I am looking at other ways to weight the bucket. One is with sand, the pipe could be easily pushed thru the sand (at least I think) to the bottom of the bucket and into a hole bored into a 2x4 at the bottom of the bucket the size of the pipe (or a bit larger). The 2x4 would be caulked/glued to the bucket bottom and would span the width of the bucket. The bucket would be about 1/3 - 1/2 full of sand to allow room for the BelkinUPS and a towel or other cloth on top of the sand. A small hole drilled into side of pipe (deburred or grommeted) to insert PoE up thru pipe.

I'll also look into the Lifting weight idea someone else mentioned, depends on how much these weights cost though. 

Thx Sly n5gqb

Hi Mark, I am new to HSMM-MESH. I have six routers with the firmware installed but I cannot get Focus VideoPhone or D-RATS to connect to the computers. The setup for Focus Video Phone seemed very clear but when I call the other computer, after several seconds I get a message that it cannot connect suggesting an error in the address. Any thoughts on what I should try? Thanks. Dave Riddle KD9AC Charleston, IL

I found my problem. Reinstaled Windows and everything OK.

I dont have any photos of the lollypops, and they are stored at Brians QTH.
Ill ask if he can snap a couple, and Ill gladly do up an article on the site.

KTF

For the benefit of anyone else finding this in the future, here is what is needed to make this work (Rich and I just discussed it over the phone):

You MUST be on 0.4.3 firmware for the internet gateway to work now, due to recent changes beyond our (the HSMM-Mesh project) control.

You have your modem to the internet, be it cable modem, DSL, even wifi internet. That connects to your regular house router's WAN/Internet port.

On the house router, connect a cable from one of the house router LAN ports to the HSMM-Mesh node's WAN port. Then go into setup and check the Internet Gateway box under the WAN settings, click SAVE CHANGES, and reboot.

You only need to connect ONE mesh node to the internet to give your entire mesh network internet access. Other nodes do NOT need to have a connection to the house router OR does not need to have the Internet Gateway box checked. Just the one is all that needs setup.

These simple steps will give your mesh nertwork internet access.

And remember Part 97 rules.... Its your license !

Jim
K5KTF

So I was at the HAMFest last weekend and saw the display for the HSMM-MESH!  I thought ok so that is really (and I do mean Really) cool.  Thanks to the folks that put the display up!

I live in South Austin.  I have two routers loaded with the mesh software!!  I don't have an external antenna as of yet.  

I need some help on making connections.  I did do some mapping and  the connection to St Davids and KF5MFL have hill between 50-100 foot in the path.   The St David's connection maybe possible if the link is on the roof.   The connection to AMD is just about all up hill (@3.42 miles) and appears to be the best.

Drop me an email at rkerschner@gmail.com.   This look like it could be alot of fun!

73

KC9VFT

Rich

Right, you would need a cable from your internet connection (router/cablemodem/etc) to the WAN port on the node, then check the GATEWAY box in the node setup.

KTF

Oh, and I checked, and cannot find your lost post anywhere. I dont know what happened, but its not in here.

And we do not have a user's gallery yet. Great idea, and Ill see what I can do to implement.

Most times, people email us with their pics and a blurb that we can then create an article from for the site. If you want, email me off-list (jim at K5KTF dot com) and Ill be glad to get any info you send up ont he site. We are always looking for fresh material!

73

Jim

Hi Matt.

What? You missed MY presentation at 10 and only came for Glenn's? :-( sheesh

  (just kidding)

The 'lollypops' are built as such:

5gal bucket, a 10lb barbell weight that fits the diameter of the bottom of the bucket, a couple 2x4 wood blocks (to stabilize the weight centering), and one of the Belkin UPS with a 12VDC output. THAT is the AC cable you saw. They last 12+ hours per charge with just a node attached, but we set them up Friday night, so plugged in where we could to keep them topped off.

Below the weight is a piece of plywood cut round and has a 3/4" EMT connector drilled though, then the pipe fits through the weight's center hole and into that connector and comes up through the lid as you saw.

Up through the pipe we run a chunk of CAT5 that has a PoE adapter on each end to get power from the Belkin up to the node.

Reason for having the nodes up so high: Get the antennas above the ugly bags of water walking around, as water absorbs the 2.4Ghz energy.... They would work fine in setup with no one in the halls, but once the place fills up, signals would drop drastically.

The original design/idea of the lollypops was a brainchild of one of the gents from the Plano Klub (PARK) for last year's HamComm. They worked so well, Brian KF5GAH built us up a set for down here.

Hope that answers the questions...

Jim

K5KTF

You couls also use a coax cable & any small aluminium rod, luminium cover to make a tv antenna.

digital tv aerials | freeview aerials

Saturday August 11 in Henderson, we have the Emergency Services Appreciation Day in Lowe's parking lot. We will have a working HSMM node connected to an Email server to send Winlink emails. I will post some pictures later. If you are in the area please stop by and check it out!

73

Jim KC4BQK

Hope I'm not double posting. Made this same post (my 1st on this forum) a few minutes ago and it appeares to have evaporated into the ether.

I attended the Summerfest in Austin, caught Glenn's HSMM-MESH breakout, and visited the HSMM-MESH table.

Noticed several Lowes "bucket-nodes" and at least one had an AC line cord exiting the side of the bucket. I assumed at the time the bucket contained a gel cell and a battery charger, but coud have jyst been full of bricks for ballast and the "line cord" nothing more than an extension cord feeding AC to the standard WRT54G wall wart p_supply.

Can someone in the know please outline the configuration / construction of the 'bucket-nodes' seen at Summerfest 2012 and provide links to info on other portable node designs?

If it doesn't yet exist, perhaps the web master would consider creating a gallery of user submitted portable node designs

Matt - K5MWG

Webmaster - If my 'lost' post exisits in a bit bucket can you post it? It contained additional info on a group in San Antonio interested in HSMM-MESH, recent activity, and a new weekly radio net.

I can safely say that the HSMM-MESH firmware can be loaded and installed on the WRT54G3G-ST router.  It all checks out and works just fine.

The only change that needs to be made is opening up a *.bin file and changing the first 4 bytes to "W3GS"  Once you do that, just do a firmware upgrade and you are good to go!

For an internet gateway to work after power-cycles/reboots, you need to have 0.4.3 installed.
0.4.3 installs new IP's (of this web server) to ping against to verify there IS a connection, before actually turning on the gateway function at each boot.

Or you can manually install them, if you SSH in and edit the config file, the info is posted elsewhere on the site.

Also check to make sure you are plugging your internet connection to the WAN port.

With 0.4.3/IP's fixed and a connection to WAN, reboot the node and it should make it happen.

KTF