I bought myself a 4 Gotenna Meshes over the last few months and have been experimenting with different mounting locations to get optimal range. Currently my plan is to distribute a few unattended nodes on the south slopes of Cypress and Fromme Mountain (I’m from Vancouver) to see how far i can reach.
My current plan will be setting up the nodes in some pelican 1060 cases with a waterproof connection to an external solar panel. Pelican was nice enough to provide the CAD files (http://www.pelican.com/us/en/pro/explore/cad-downloads/) for their interiors but I’m having hard time finding any 3D models of the Gotenna Mesh itself. I am trying to 3D print internal mounting brackets for pelican cases as well as sew in mounting points for backpacks etc that conform closely to the gotenna mesh’s exterior.
Has anyone had a chance to do a 3D scan of the external features (preferably without the strap) and could they upload it. Unfortunately my extensive internet search has turned up nothing and I have no access to a 3D scanner.
I’ve actually been thinking of designing and printing some holders of various types for Mesh units. One thing I have been wondering about is how permeable various 3D printing materials (ie PLA, ABS, etc) are to 900MHZ RF. I suppose that, in the end, I will just have to experiment.
I have my little presentation setup on top and I get quite a few people asking about it. I work on the second floor but I trying to get one located on our 5th floor. We are located right across the river from Philadelphia. Where I have another relay setup on the 10th floor of a building. Working to build up the area with relays.
Briann,
Really like this stuff. For us 3D printing rookies, what’s the approximate price of something like this if you ordered one or 4 or just something to get a ballpark idea? I realize Shipping is a different matter for everyone
The tripod mount is something everyone needs who makes regular use of their GTM, plus lets you display it where appropriate, as that leads to those fertile questions like, “What’s that?” The stealth dome is a good idea, too, because sometimes you need to avoid precisely those same questions, but you need to better position your GTM without irritating the powers that be.
GoTennas are great devices for for being out in the wild with others. The Cube Farm can be a pretty savage environment, too, and having the ability to mesh discreetly or blatantly as you choose is a real benefit that’s worth investing in for many. Add in the potential for emergency communications and the goTenna Mesh can potentially be both a job saver and a life saver.
Then there’s my wife, who likes to walk to work and feels more secure when she’s within mesh range of home. We’re working on expanding that. Meshing - It’s what’s happening on the way to, in, and from the office in the urban environment.
I printed 6 of the tripod’s and the average cost is about $8.00 each. I found the best quality to come from the Treatstock app using “Print Everything!” out of HUBBARD, OH. I don’t have a 3d printer. I selected PLA in black.
Excellent, just what I needed to know and very affordable. I’m thinking about doing a batch that we’d apply a yet-to-be-designed UMESH logo to, then hand them out as incentives somehow. Some folks might want to do it as a donation premium. Our tendency is to just figure out a way to pay for such things, then get them where they will do the most in terms of whatever the intention is.
I could see a campaign to get local business support – remember, rooftop access is part of the plan to any efficient urban solution that wants to get a reliably working network up quick, fast, and with a minimum of nodes. Then you want to expand from there, so getting the word out is important.
Putting these in use in public view in a business in the context of a public campaign to “thicken” the mesh and expand its coverage area from an initial build footprint is what encourages more individual use, because people go everywhere, even if they congregate in different places at different times of the day.
Businesses, especially small, neighborhood businesses, tend to have more localized footprints. Delivery is perhaps the most obvious app that stands out as being facilitated by the goTenna Mesh, but there are others that come to mind (various services, neighborhood services, etc). Like supporting public and community media already is, supporting community mesh networking solutions publicly can serve as an aspirational goal in terms of campaigns that seek to enlist community support like rooftop access or self-emplacement of nodes among potential stakeholders.
Make having an easily identifiable link through an attractively loged-goTenna Mesh stand to a community project that serves the public, community services, and merchant interests all at once could be the key to success in locating and enlisting supporters of community mesh networks.
Until then, this very chic stand STILL makes a utilitarian accessory for your GTM.
Very cool! Are you taking design requests? I wish I had the skill set to develop these items! I’ve prints 6 of the tripod design and I’m giving one away as part of a “Relay Station Kit”
Sure, i can take design requests. I mostly work on these on my free time on the weekend. Right now im designing a shark fin for lower key mounting on a car.
I 3D printed a case mount for the goTenna for inside a waterproof box. The goTenna is attached to a Raspberry Pi UPS (uninterruptible power supply) with approx. an 8 day battery and a wireless charger.
