More Potential Fun with Mesh

[T_Minus]

I made some posts in the past about wanting to DIY a rasberry pi WiFi camera that was solar powered... well that doesn't work, after doing WiFi experiments the range is WAY too small for the wooded area I'm in.

Looking at a Game Camera that has built-in Mesh gave me an idea.

Why not do a rasberry PI + mesh network + camera on the PI and use some small 12V UPS batteries, and mini-solar panels/chargers to make my own security camera mesh network.

This would let me if needed run some cat5e underground out as far as I can run the cable and still do POE/etc for a 'starting' point for the Mesh Network away from the house as far as possible, and then mesh the pis together onward...

Anyone ever done this?

Thoughts? Suggestions?

 

[Drewy]

Ensure the supply to the pi is well regulated. I'm forever frying electric fencers with solar panels

Wouldn't it be simpler to take the pi's out of the equation (unless it's partly a challenge) and use wifi cams and mesh ap's?

 

[T_Minus]

Yes. Lots of options all with Pros and Cons.

I'm now thinking a hybrid of your idea may be the solution... to save on time as well as solar panels, and batteries. Mesh network with APs, solar panel/battery for power for a POE device that can then power the AP + 2-3 POE Cameras per-location.

This will allow me to use the ubnt POE cams that are a great deal, and very high video quality for the $ while doing 2-3 cameras per-battery/panel.

Thoughts on this idea? I think I'll probably have to also just come up with a mini-version for AP/Mesh extension only too, or it would get really costly to have 2-3 cameras at each location

 

[Dawg10]

I have 80 acres, 40 in bush with deer, moose and lots of coyotes. For the most part hunters adhere to the posted signs, but there's always someone who's a smart ass, so I've been looking to add solar powered wifi cams to my security solution. I'm seriously looking at this: Stand alone security cameras for job sites | other | Edmonton | Kijiji

 

[T_Minus]

Yeah that looks good and $$pricey$$! That's what I'm thinking of DIY-doing and then running cameras off it as far as I can before they stop working and setup like 2-3 of those with a mesh network so they can relay/talk back to home base server/storage system.

 

[Dawg10]

Yeah, pretty rich. But nice design, eh? Telescopic mast with a tripod base, nice electrical box with attached solar panel. An old guy with too many projects wants to add this one to the list. I have line of sight to a spot near the back of the property, a half mile away. I have a 16' mast out the roof of the recycle shed by the house, it hosts an ip cam and the A band backhaul from the shop net. Ran 2 circuits and a cat5 to the shed, did lights and outlets, put in a switch which has space for a hi gain antenna pointed to the west. Famous last words: It wouldn't take much to figure this out.

 

[T_Minus]

Yeah, pretty rich. But nice design, eh? Telescopic mast with a tripod base, nice electrical box with attached solar panel. An old guy with too many projects wants to add this one to the list. I have line of sight to a spot near the back of the property, a half mile away. I have a 16' mast out the roof of the recycle shed by the house, it hosts an ip cam and the A band backhaul from the shop net. Ran 2 circuits and a cat5 to the shed, did lights and outlets, put in a switch which has space for a hi gain antenna pointed to the west. Famous last words: It wouldn't take much to figure this out.

Yeah, it looks like the ones the gov. uses to monitor environmental sensors on creeks/rivers/etc I've seen in the woods actually. That's awesome if that will work for that distance! I always assumed the gov units were sat since I've seen some on the bottom of 20-100' cliffs in canyons that were like grown over forest, I wonder if they do some type of mesh network even?

 

[Dawg10]

It'd be nice to re-purpose some of that surplus, now their budget is being trimmed and all.

I have some 600mw Engenius radios. Two hi gain antennas with line of sight should be able to talk a half mile no problem. Hardest part: soldering the dinky antenna connector onto a bigger cable.

 

[T_Minus]

Anyone ever use these?

Amazon.com: Ubiquiti airGateway LR Wireless access point 802.11 b/g/n: Computers & Accessories

Wondering if I can use them as wireless bridges to keep extending network away from start/house or if they all have to connect to a different/other AP?

Wondering if I can go to a nanostation since they're semi directional up the hill, then use an omni antenna on that AP for all the little airGateway LR devices ?

 

[markarr]

Can you give a drawing as to what you are trying to do? How far are they apart?

You could go this route

Amazon.com: Ubiquiti UAP-AC-M-US Unifi Mesh Access Point: Electronics

They have a range of about 600ft and are designed to mesh together.

UniFi Mesh