We need to address the quick setup and prevention of damage for multiple types of equipment in a deployment.

We wish to implement a standard practice of marking both the end of the power cord AND the input of any device.

This creates ease of setup even if you are unfamiliar with the equipment.

We propose to use Scotch 35 colored marking tape, and the colors available are:

Brown, Gray, red, white, violet, blue, yellow, orange. Green is suggested as use for grounding only.

Voltages needed to identify are:

3.3VDC, 5VDC, 6VDC, 12VDC, 24VDC, and 48VDC.

Please reply here and give your suggestions. If you know of a standard, please provide reference to it.

Tom,

I plan to bring a node online in Averill Park in the near future. I will likely go with a Raspberry Pi as the platform. I'm wondering about the chances of establishing a link between our two locations.

I am looking at some of the high gain antennas and 1-2W wireless adapters. At ~20mi, it might be a bit of a haul. Terrain may also come into play. I work in downtown Troy, and may be able to configure a node there as well. Perhaps you know of some closer nodes that aren't yet on the map.

Let me know your thoughts and experiences with BBHN so far, I'm interested to hear them.

73

Mike

I mean Channel -1, although channel 0 would be cool as well.  As referenced in the HSMM-MESH Wikipedia page:

2.4 GHz custom frequencies

Using professional grade hardware or modified consumer grade hardware it is possible to operate on 802.11b/g hardware on channels that are effectively "0" at 2.407 GHz and "−1" at 2.402 GHz. Using these channels allows amateur operators to move away from unlicensed Part 15 operators but may interfere with amateur radio satellite downlinks near 2.400 GHz and 2.401 GHz.

If the mesh will automatically join a node that is available, and if that node isn't in the Amateur Radio Portion of the 2.4GHz band, would an amplified node be breaking the law by connecting to a node on channel 8?  Can we actually choose a channel above channel 6 in the Broadband-Hamnet code and still operate as part 97?

By the way, is there a way to tell what channel a mesh node is actually on from its own web interface?   Right now, the only way I can tell is to use another mesh node to do a wifi scan.

Do you really mean channel "-1" or channel 1? 

As far as I understand from previous discussions, this is buried deep down in the hardware or firmware on the WRT-54 series, and we haven't figured out how to make it choose one and only one WiFi channel.

You can set a channel, but when the router reboots, if it hears another mesh node with "BroadbandHamnet-v1" SSID, it will go to that same channel.  It only uses the channel you chose if it doesn't hear another router. 

WHAT:   Broadband-Hamnet formally HSMM-MESH

                Mark your calendars for the Wasatch Front Mesh in the Park Event

WHEN:   All are invited to join us Saturday September 14^th from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm

                 (or longer if needed)

WHERE: East end of Parallon's parking lot at 1120 Sportsplex Dr, Kaysville

                  Just north of Barns Memorial Park

                   I-15 exit 328, west on 200 North, North on 900 West to Sportsplex Drive

Those interested are welcome to come for the morning with your equipment to test, configure, load or update. There will be operators standing by to help instruct, guide and configure your equipment. If your equipment is working and tested, come out anyway to show us what you have. The parking lot and part of Barnes Park will be set up as a test range. This will give us almost a quarter mile distance with few obstructions and a clear Fresnel zone. Far enough yet close enough. Working nodes will be set up to help test and troubleshoot your equipment. Services over the broadband mesh will be active, such as TeamTalk, VOIP, email and other services.

Request for further information or to ask questions, send email to ad7qf@arrl.org.

I would really like to operate on channel -1 so we're out of the part 15 interference altogether, is this an option?

Is there a search function for the user forums?  The "search" field at the top of the page only searches the "articles," not user posts.  Is there a function to search the user forums? 

I guess I could use an advanced Google search, but am I missing something? 

First,  you do have to reboot for the change to take effect.

Second, do you have other mesh nodes in range?  I believe that if a mesh node sees another mesh node with the correct SSID when it powers up, it will come up on the WiFi channel the existing network is on, no matter the WiFI channel setting the router is programmed to.

I played with two mesh nodes, and if I set one on channel 1 and one on channel 7, if I turn them both off, whichever one comes up first chooses the channel and the other one will follow.  From then on, I think it will stay on whichever channel they ended up on until both are powered off, but I need to experiment with it a little more.

I believe this isn't the way we want it to work, but it's deep down in the proprietary hardware/firmware of the router and we haven't figured out how to change it.

I have been studying this part of the Ham hobby for many months. I am getting ready to set up my station with a wrt54g v3. I have been waiting to find out if anyone has has success with N routers? I have seen wrt150n and wrt300n firmware releases in the download area. Have been considering getting one of the two. Trying to shoot for max speed and bandwith. Any advice prior to purchase is appreciated?

Is there a way to configure the mesh channel on something other than  1?  Setup (v1) makes it seem like you can, but it does not seem to really do that...

W8QPP