I saw this article today and thought it introduced an interesting wrinkle into the hotspot-in-a-backpack concept:
Reuters: Backpack designed to generate power from walking http://tinyurl.com/ax3j6 - Ed Ward - - - - - - - - - - - - - - edward @ mail . wvnet . edu > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:digitaldivide- > [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Andy Carvin > Sent: Friday, September 09, 2005 12:48 PM > To: The Digital Divide Network discussion group > Subject: [DDN] How to make a solar powered backpack wifi hotspot > > > A month or so ago, Popular Science had an article on how to make a > mobile wifi hotspot in a backpack. At the time it was published as just > an uber-cool way for geeks with a little extra cash to show off their > tech props. Given all that's been going on with Katrina, though, I > wanted to relay the basics of the instructions here so that people on > the ground would be able to implement their own mobile hotspots as > wireless broadband goes back online along the Gulf Coast. The whole > thing can be set up for around $1,100, but I imagine it'd be worth it > for orgs working on the ground trying to maintain communications from > the field. For the full details, please see the original article: > > http://tinyurl.com/ceyud > > Ingredients: > > . Junxion Box wireless gateway $700; junxionbox.com > . Verizon Wireless EV-DO PCMCIA card $100; verizonwireless.com > . Voltaic Systems solar-charging backpack $230; voltaicsystems.com > . 12-volt battery with spade terminals, 1.2 or higher amp-hour $15 > . Male DC power plug, size M $5 > . 18-gauge wire, black and red $5 > . Female insulated quick-disconnect connectors, crimp-type, sized for > battery spade terminals $3 > . In-line fuse holder $7 > . 20-amp fuse 50 cents > > Instructions: > > 1) Plug in your EV-DO card and set up the Junxion Box to automatically > assign TCP/IP addresses using DHCP, and disable the authentication > splash page. > > 2) To build the power-adapter cable, cut a length of red wire and a > length of black. Strip one end of each wire and crimp a spade terminal > connector onto each. > > Strip the other end of the red wire, and solder it to one end of the > fuse holder. Wrap the connection in electrical tape. Take apart the male > DC power plug. Solder the end of the black wire to the negative terminal > of the plug and the red wire to the positive. Wrap the exposed positive > connection in electrical tape, and reassemble the power plug. Install a > 20-amp fuse. > > 3) Connect the Junxion Box cigarette-lighter adapter to the backpack > "power out" plug. > > 4) Connect the battery cable to the "battery" plug on the backpack's > charge controller. > > 5) Take a hike - you're ready to go. > > -- > ----------------------------------- > Andy Carvin > Program Director > EDC Center for Media & Community > acarvin @ edc . org > http://www.digitaldivide.net > http://katrina05.blogspot.com > Blog: http://www.andycarvin.com > ----------------------------------- > > _______________________________________________ > DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list > DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org > http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide > To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
