I like your thoughts. Cost wasn't the issue - we hadn't even talked numbers. I basically introduced myself and they told me that they weren't interested. Gotta be honest though, the lady on the phone sounded pretty old school - called my email a "letter" ;)
I'm considering doing something similar to what you said about the trailer. There is a parking garage that overlooks the main vendor areas. I think I could put an AP up there and set up a backhaul between there and the closest 'net access. Part of my challenge is that I don't have any infrastructure in place here. I've worked at/with ISPs but I'm new to the WISP game but very interested. I'm keeping my eyes and ears open for opportunity. Thanks for the advice, Charles Mike wrote: > If cost is their issue, consider revising your plan. > > I have found that festivals and things like farmers markets are a wonderful > place to market. I have a trailer set up with a solar panel that keeps a > deep cycle battery charged. I can put it in place then push up a fiberglass > pole to connect to one of our tower assets. I then have an AP inside the > trailer. It works for quite a radius around the setup. The side of the > trailer says "Awe Solar Unit" and has a stylized sun. The green mileage I > get just from that is noticeable. > > If you just set it up at some location at the festival, it would be popular > and appreciated by a certain subset of revelers. The locals will take note > and it puts your name out there with them in a sort of gee wiz way. Cheap, > effective marketing. > > Friendly Regards, > > Mike > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On > Behalf Of Charles Hooper > Sent: Monday, April 19, 2010 9:51 AM > To: WISPA General List > Subject: Re: [WISPA] Internet for festival: Laptop/PDA signal strength? > > Ahh, I emailed the organizers about a week ago. I just heard back a > moment ago; they don't "need" it so it's not something they want to deal > with. Bummer! :-\ > > Thank you everyone for your suggestions! > > > jp wrote: > >> I would suggest checking with the organizers to see if they want >> basic/free/cheap or really nice with cost. They may have big dreams and >> will seek a way to make it happen in conjuction with you for reasonable >> money. I don't do free festivals or events. I give away enough every >> month to regular nonprofits and other trade arrangements, I don't need >> to get distracted by big events for free when I should be taking care of >> local paying customers. >> >> While you might be doing them a great favor to provide something for >> free, Internet might be a very very important thing to them and the >> sponsors/vendors and they might want to make it a priority for the sake >> of commerce and community development. National sponsors wouldn't bat an >> eyelash at an elaborate broadband improvement for the festival. >> >> If they go for the latter, you might get paid to install year round >> infrastructure throughout the area, and gain year round customers. And >> they wouldn't have to rethink/upgrade Internet again the next year and >> the next. You might also make nicer relationships with repeater site >> owners if the impetus is to prepare for the festival more so than >> strictly business profit. >> >> >> On Sun, Apr 18, 2010 at 10:02:00AM -0400, Charles Hooper wrote: >> >> >>> Oh yeah, I'm doing this for free. I don't really have any hardware other >>> than a Bullet with an omni that a friend gave me. I planned on buying >>> some equipment and I don't mind, provided I can use it for other >>> projects after this one, but I'd like to keep the budget under $300 (if >>> that's laughable, do let me know!) >>> >>> My thoughts were to use NS5Ls for the backhaul and up to three >>> well-placed 2.4 Bullets w/ omnis, but the fewer the better. >>> >>> >>> Josh Luthman wrote: >>> >>> >>>> Nanos would be cheaper then MT wouldn't it? >>>> >>>> On 4/17/10, Mike <[email protected]> wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>>> Marlon's idea is good. Put a high 5.8 omni at the crossroads. Put >>>>> > some 5.8 > >>>>> cpe at a few different places with 2.4 low power radios connected to >>>>> > them. > >>>>> A P2P to the crossroads system from your demark would complete the >>>>> > system. > >>>>> You could do it with Deliberant radios, or Mikrotik quite easily. >>>>> >>>>> -----Original Message----- >>>>> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On >>>>> Behalf Of Marlon K. Schafer >>>>> Sent: Saturday, April 17, 2010 7:08 PM >>>>> To: WISPA General List >>>>> Subject: Re: [WISPA] Internet for festival: Laptop/PDA signal strength? >>>>> >>>>> I use a 24dB grid for a project like this. We can get to a laptop (in >>>>> open air) about a mile away this way ;-). It's pretty cool. >>>>> >>>>> You'd never be able to handle the volume that way though. >>>>> >>>>> I'd probably try to go with REALLY low powered omni or sectors with a >>>>> > LOT of > >>>>> them. 5 gig 802.11 a and b/g. I'd also run a 5 gig system over the >>>>> > top of > >>>>> it for backhaul. >>>>> >>>>> Unless you are doing this for free. Then put in what you've got that's >>>>> cheap and go from there. >>>>> marlon >>>>> >>>>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>>> From: "Charles Hooper" <[email protected]> >>>>> To: "WISPA General List" <[email protected]> >>>>> Sent: Saturday, April 17, 2010 11:27 AM >>>>> Subject: [WISPA] Internet for festival: Laptop/PDA signal strength? >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>> Hi, >>>>>> >>>>>> Every year in July we have a fairly large, 3-day festival in town with >>>>>> over 100 vendors and over 300,000 visitors. I'm teaming up with a >>>>>> > local > >>>>>> non-profit that I'm involved with to try to provide Internet access to >>>>>> those vendors, as well as any of those 300,000 people with >>>>>> smartphones/PDAs who feel the need to get online. Essentially, the >>>>>> > area > >>>>>> I want to cover is in green on this map (plus the pier): >>>>>> >>>>>> http://sailfest.org/images/page/sailfest2009_event_guide.gif >>>>>> >>>>>> For a sense of scale, those green sections are only about 400 feet >>>>>> > long > >>>>>> and are (mostly) flat and the buildings around them are made of brick. >>>>>> There will be tents and stands all along the street. This is one of >>>>>> > the > >>>>>> areas: >>>>>> >>>>>> http://sailfest.org/images/page/vendorarea_03.jpg >>>>>> >>>>>> If I put a Ubiquiti bullet in that intersection of the green area with >>>>>> an omnidirectional antenna, I have very little doubt that its signal >>>>>> will get wherever it needs to go, but will people's laptops and PDAs >>>>>> have a problem with connections at that range? Or should I put a >>>>>> repeater halfway down those streets, or even for this use case use a >>>>>> Mesh network design? >>>>>> >>>>>> Thanks in advance, >>>>>> Charles >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >>>>> ---- >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>> WISPA Wants You! Join today! >>>>>> http://signup.wispa.org/ >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >>>>> ---- >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>> WISPA Wireless List: [email protected] >>>>>> >>>>>> Subscribe/Unsubscribe: >>>>>> http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless >>>>>> >>>>>> Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >>>>> ---- >>>>> WISPA Wants You! 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