Side note: how do y’all carry your antennaed nodes while out and about? Like to the gym or errands

  • shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip
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    3 months ago

    For situations like this, I like to use devices with internal built-in antennas such as the Heltec MeshPocket, Seeed T1000-E, or RAK WisMesh Tag.

    But all those devices are best used with a local repeater.

    • LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      3 months ago

      What am I even seeing here… Is it a wireless leash for a dog or something? Apparently I have heard nothing about this branch of tech, because I recognize none of the products you just mentioned. Man I feel old.

      • mmmac@lemmy.zipOP
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        3 months ago

        Its a low powered long range radio that runs meshtastic firmware!

        It allows people to share text-based communications without needing the internet or cell towers, think of it like walkie-talkies that can talk to multiple people at once and automatically relay messages from one radio to another, creating a mesh network.

        You’re not too out of the loop, if you’re on Lemmy!

      • Ulrich@feddit.org
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        3 months ago

        How did you find us here? It’s hard to explain succinctly but think of it like a 2-way pager. Only instead of proprietary radio towers, it’s just personal LoRa devices creating a mesh communication network. You can put one on your dog and it will collect it’s location via satellite and broadcast it’s coordinates to other nodes on the network.

    • mmmac@lemmy.zipOP
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      3 months ago

      Thanks for the rec! Yeah I have a sensecap solar on my roof in client base, was very impressed with the range I got on my walk today.

      I have a rokland 5.8DBI fiberglass coming in the mail tomorrow I think, so I can hopefully get away with an internal

      • shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip
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        3 months ago

        Oh nice, somebody in my local area just ordered the rak Wismesh repeater and is going to put it up in a week or so, so that will be even more coverage in my area.

        • mmmac@lemmy.zipOP
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          3 months ago

          You should see what they’ve built out in the bay. Routers on all of the surrounding mountains. Its beautiful. I sent a message that went out to yuba city all the way down to San Luis Obispo last night

          • shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip
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            3 months ago

            Yeah, this one that was just ordered by some person is going to probably be a client base or client because we already have a router that serves the area decently well.

            • mmmac@lemmy.zipOP
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              3 months ago

              If he sets it to client base tell him to be careful with his favorites! Can mess up routing if he favorites a router

              • shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip
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                3 months ago

                Out of curiosity, how would it mess up routing if he favorites a router? Because if I’m understanding the way client base works and the way the new routing protocol works, if he favorites a router, then his node would just re-broadcast that same packet without decrementing the hop. Unless I’m missing something.

                • mmmac@lemmy.zipOP
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                  3 months ago

                  It’s designed to help weak/mobile/indoor nodes in poor radio locations, not routers. When you favorite routers or other strong nodes, your CLIENT_BASE aggressively rebroadcasts their traffic (acting as ROUTER), which can actually suppress better routing paths and add unnecessary congestion. The feature works best when you favorite only your personal handheld/EDC devices that need the boost from your strong base station. Favoriting already-strong infrastructure nodes defeats the purpose and can negatively impact overall mesh connectivity.

                  This is entirely dependent on your mesh topology of course. In our larger mesh with a lot of routers in advantageous locations, a client base favoriting a router would do more harm than good

                  • shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip
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                    3 months ago

                    Doh. Now that you pointed out, that makes total sense. And I’m not sure why it didn’t occur to me earlier. But thanks.