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AREDN has come to Maine!

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ng1p
ng1p's picture
AREDN has come to Maine!
We have started a Mesh network in Maine. You will find a few nodes that have been listed on the map:
http://usercontent.arednmesh.org/K/5/K5DLQ/livemap2.html

NG1P-4 a 5.8Ghz Rocket M5 and 13dB omni on Oak Hill in Brunswick Maine at the top of a 250 foot tower at K1MNW's QTH. (Thank you Bill!)
NG1P-1 is at my house at 65 feet using a Nanostation M5 (will be replacing with a Rocket and 19 dB 120 deg sector) 
NG1P-8 is at my house at 65 feet is a Rocket M2 on 2.4Ghz with a 9dB omni.

So far for services I have Meshchat running, BPQ32 packet node access, TeamTalk5 server running for voice and video.


This is just a good start but look forward to others joining and expanding the coverage and providing emergency communication. 
Here are a few coverage maps that I have shared:

360 deg. coverage map from Oak Hill:
https://link.ui.com/#p=ee9dd2a0be9c403c91e11a2f19f7d3d2

Point to Point to and from Oak Hill to my house and some future nodes:
https://link.ui.com/#p=4b9c07a2225f43d5a259ca2ef3fb49ed

Future possible mesh sites. Is is a dream map and will require lots of approval. I will say that all the sites listed are repeater sites and most are DMR. Done right we could cover most of the whole state:
https://link.ui.com/#p=391525702b96400c98110df9a3266c04

73 Bill NG1P

 
K5DLQ
K5DLQ's picture
FYI, you can customize the
FYI, you can customize the map to YOUR AREA if you want.

follow this pattern:
http://usercontent.arednmesh.org/K/5/K5DLQ/livemap2.html?lat=33.656&lon=...
 
ng1p
ng1p's picture
Thank you
Good tip!
ng1p
ng1p's picture
The better map link
N1JOV
Checking in here in Maine!
I've been working with NG1P and K1MNW and have the third site up in Maine!  I also have a couple of co-workers that are interested, and may get their ham radio licenses so they can play AREDN with us.

-Dj, N1JOV
ng1p
ng1p's picture
Welcome!
DJ, Thanks for the note. Look forward to seeing others join in.

73 Bill NG1P
KD8QLO
Greetings! Used to live in
Greetings! Used to live in Brunswick when i was at BIW, but as an OTR trucker I am all over the lower 48. I have my 5th wheel Camper in NH but to reach out to you guys we would have to do a tunnel.
73 - Dean
WA1KLI
WA1KLI's picture
Latest status in Maine?
Checking in to see if there are any new nodes or updates for Maine?

John WA1KLI
ng1p
ng1p's picture
Update

With COVID-19 things has slowed down. We have an active 5.8Ghz node at OakHill, My home node on 5.8G and 2.4G plus N1JOV  DJ at his home in Topsham is connected and DJ has a node connected in over at the Brunswick airport. Still waiting for others to join in and exspand coverage. All are welcome.

I will say for services I have Teamtalk up and running for voip and file sharing comminications, My BPQ node on packet (145.01, 223.600 and 433.100) is on the ethernet side of the MESH so anyone can http://bpq-node.local.mesh:8008 and get into that node. Plus I have CACTI running just doing some simple ping tests making sure all node are reachable and measuring latency.

AA7AU
AA7AU's picture
Quick suggestion

It's always good operating procedure to name mesh-resident hosts to include a callsign so that the host is *unique* throughout any possible current/future mesh connections and therefore avoid naming/DNS conflicts. I have seen way too many hosts like rasperrypi.local.mesh etc show up and then get later added to a wider mesh with unfortunate consquences. "bqp-node" is certainly not unique; perhaps change to NG1P-bpq-node.local.mesh ???

- Don - AA7AU

ng1p
ng1p's picture
Great Point
Thanks.. We just have not grown to the point of seeing this issue. I have updated the DNS to now be ng1p-bpq-node.local.mesh. That should fix any future growth issues.
Thank you!
KD8QLO
Hey everyone! Located in
Hey everyone! Located in Auburn and looking to get my node up soon, Rocket M5 with Omni antenna, I also use an AR150 as a mobile mesh.
New call is N1BWO just havent changed it here
WA1KLI
WA1KLI's picture
I see there is a planned
I see there is a planned expansion of the ARDEN system here in Maine that has recently been funded. Does anyone have a link to the new sites that are planned?
ng1p
ng1p's picture
I will be at the Maine State
I will be at the Maine State Convention in Lewiston that is coming up at the end of March. I will be giving a talk on Saturday at 10am and will cover this topic.
 
So the backbone will include sites as follows and will be added over the next 2 years or so: We are also looking to at York Hill in New Sharon but have not the ok yet to use that site. The below sites make up locations that UFB NewEngland Fusion has access to.
Site Name
Blackstrap Hill
Streaked Mnt
Oak Hill Brunswick
Oak Hill Wales or Litchfield (pending)
Sidney
Athens
Dixmont
Ragged Mnt
Blackcap Mnt
Dedham
Lead Mnt (pending this or Schoodic Mnt)
Schoodic Mnt (Off-Grid site) (pending this or Lead Mnt)
Cooper Mnt
ng1p
ng1p's picture
Blackstrap Hill in Falmouth Maine is on line
On June 1st we got the Blackstrap Hill online with a Rocket Dish point to Brunswick. Brunswick currently is using a 13dB omni that will be replaced with 3 120 deg panel (LAP120) and also will add a dish to dedicate back to Blackstrap. All backbone nodes will have dedicated point to point connections when completed. Still waiting for more equipment to arrive that has been back ordered. Hope to get more sites connected over the summer and into the fall. The goal is to finalize the backbone project by September 2024.
ng1p
ng1p's picture
Blackstrap
Currently we only have the point to point Rocket Dish. The plan is to add 3 (LAP120) panel devices at all backbone sites. We are working on permission to get the 3 LAP120's added to this site. Once they are added we should see about a 15 mile coverage radius (or more pending on gain and LOS)  This should cover the greater Portland area.

In general the plan is for all sites to have 3 LAP120's and point to point if greater than 30 miles will use a 30 db gain Rocket dish. If under 30 miles point to point will be 5AC500's. I will post channels when avalable. 

All sites in the backbone will be using 5.8Ghz and Ubiquiti gear. We are leaving the 2.4Ghz as an option for last mile opportunities for non backbone options. (Home, portable, last mile use cases) 

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