4 ms·
Wireless coverage above >30 MHz or so (too high to propagate by ionospheric reflection) depends on line of sight to operate. The cell network works because peop
by superkuh 4y ago
Wireless coverage above >30 MHz or so (too high to propagate by ionospheric reflection) depends on line of sight to operate. The cell network works because people invest a lot of money to provide electrical power to very high points above the surrounding terrain.
The only places that community meshes (wireless meshes without $$$) can work are mountains with cities below them or mega-cities where residents have access to the roof tops of their buildings.
There is no amount of power, no special modulation, nothing, that can punch through a slight hill or a valley. Your antennas have to be above the surrounding terrain to get a high data rate mesh to work. And for most places that means spending money to get access to rooftops or towers. Everyone just adding their node in their house, car, or as a phone is not going to do it.
tldr; the only thing that matters is height above terrain and that costs lots of money.
- cowtools 4y agoWhat if you just had a balloon or something that was tethered to some ground station. Might be cheaper than a radio tower.
- superkuh 4y agoThese days many people are working on tethered multi-copter based active radio "towers". The most interesting ones use single wire (~28awg) surface wave transmission lines with lightweight launchers on both ends to transmit significant RF power which is rectified at the multicopter to use for flight energy. Balloons and kites work but they're much more difficult to control.
- germinalphrase 4y agoAny references handy to learn more?
- superkuh 4y agohttp://www.sonic.net/~n6gn/ http://www.sonic.net/~n6gn/ and my own write-up http://superkuh.com/blog/2019-11-05-1.html http://superkuh.com/blog/2019-11-05-1.html on the subject.
- germinalphrase 4y agoThanks!
- pasquinelli 4y agowhat if we transmitted signals on gravity waves?