Well range isn't that big of an issue.  It's line of sight.  A 40 foot mast
is about $70, which should get you above the trees in most areas.  Using a
24db dish ($130), you can do about 23 miles with no amplifiers.

You might run into zoning problems with an antenna that tall though.  That's
why I'm going to get my ham radio license this weekend.  The FCC license
overrides local ordinances on antenna height.  :)

  

Jay

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Andy Warner [mailto:andyw at pobox.com] 
> Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 3:15 PM
> To: tcwug-list at tcwug.org
> Subject: Re: [TCWUG] Map of locations for possible AP's
> 
> 
> Spencer Butler wrote:
> > [...]
> > Is this something the tcwug is interested in? Bob was 
> talking <on IRC> about 
> > setting up a geek-2-geek wireless backbone. I am more than 
> willing to 
> > contribute what ever resource I have to this endeavor. 
> However, with my 
> > current setup, I can not even get a signal from the street 
> to my house. I 
> > will refrain from giving the lon and lat at this time. 
> Soon, very soon, we 
> > should get some inter<geek>communication going on. Just a 
> few thoughts.
> 
> Just so that we can get an early read on the feasability of this,
> can everyone who's at least mildly interested in this ping the list
> with their approximate location ? If we see:
> 
> 	Chaska
> 	White Bear Lake
> 	Edina
> 	Maple Plain
> 	Eden Prarie
> 	S. Mpls
> 	Eagan
> 	W. St. Paul
> 	Savage
> 	Woodbury
> 	Dinkytown
> 
> Then we know that we're not ready for this yet. Without serious
> antennas (aka $$$) and/or assitance from the terrain, you'll not
> get an 802.11b signal very far in this terrain.
> 
> As I said before, the sprawl that we're so famous for, combined
> with mostly flat terrain makes a mesh network hard to do
> here. Don't peg me as a hopeless whiner, but I've been here
> before (at 9600baud and 56Kbaud) and it's harder than
> saying "yeah - cool".
> 
> As for even being able to get out to the kerb, you'll not
> get very far at all without an external antenna of some sort.
> 
> If folks are really serious about working on a network, how
> about an in person meeting of interested parties - it'll be
> so much better if we're planning to get anything done. I'm
> happy to co-ordinate.
> 
> I'll start the ball rolling by interpreting the lat/long
> I gave out before as 44th/France in S Mpls/Edina.
> -- 
> andyw at pobox.com
> 
> Andy Warner		Voice: (612) 801-8549	Fax: (208) 575-5634
> _______________________________________________
> Twin Cities Wireless Users Group Mailing List - 
> Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
> http://www.tcwug.org
> tcwug-list at tcwug.org
> https://mailman.real-time.com/mailman/listinfo/tcwug-list
>