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