Steve, You will indeed learn a lot from this project, and of course you can do that learning while tethered to the power pole.
Having dealt with alternate energy systems since 1985, including remote sites operating radio and telecommunications gear, I can assure you that you will not be operational for any length of time using solar/battery power unless you are willing to spend many times the cost of an AP for solar panels, batteries, and energy management equipment. Even using an off-the-shelf AP, (two if you want to repeat), is not a simple excercise using solar power. To my knowledge, there is no AP today that has been designed with minimal energy usage as a primary goal. By all means play with LEAF and wireless networking, but don't expect much from a surplus 386. Even an old laptop would suck too much energy to run on a simple solar/battery system. Have fun. -- Sincerely, David Smead http://www.amplepower.com. On Wed, 1 May 2002, steve wrote: > Hi Brock > Thanks for your concerns on power consumption and I would have to agree > about using an AP, particularly if buying everything from the start it > would be better. > > The wireless cards only cost me $13USD each and I have everything else > except coax and connectors so even with the extra power consumption it > will work out a bit cheaper for me to use a LEAF system. I can put > money that would be spent on an AP towards the extra required for solar > panel. It's also a project for me to learn more about > Linux/routing/wireless etc. > > Another big advantage for me is if there is a problem with hardware I > have spare cards and mother boards as replacements. Along with a friend > that can do the replacing if I'm away. > > Again if I had nothing in my junk bin and starting with nothing, AP's > would be the best way. > > Steve. > > > > > Not wanting to rain on anyone's parade, but I am of the > > opinion that this is > > a *bad* idea... for one main reason: > > > > Power Consumption. > > > > As Steve alluded to, solar equipment is not cheap. I think > > the key to a > > cost-effective solution is to buy a real access point that > > can function as a > > repeater. The smaller and simpler the better. What you pay for this > > hardware over and above the cost of a LEAF box will likely be > > less than the > > additional solar panels, batteries and grief of building and > > maintaining a > > LEAF install in a less than hospitable environment. The AP > > is more likely > > to keep going in the cold of winter and heat of summer than > > that 386 is. > > > > A simple repeater has no need for firewall abilities, dhcp, > > ssh or any of > > the other goodies in LEAF! These abilities are better used > > at the ends to > > prevent unauthorized access via the repeater. If you can get > > the repeater > > concept to go, perhaps something like nocatauth from > > nocat.net would be a > > better solution to keep the neighbours from stealing your > > bandwidth (if > > that's a concern). > > > > Brock > > > > | > I'm putting in a wireless link from friends in city to > > farm for faster > > | > Internet access and need to have a remote repeater site > > on hill running > > | > from battery and solar power. LEAF should be ideal for > > this. I will make > > | > a power supply to run the mother board direct from the > > battery to reduce > > | > losses (about %15) from using Inverter and PC supply. > > Sun power might > > | > be free but solar panels are not cheap, so the lower the > > losses and > > | > power requirements the better. > > > > > > > > > > >
