Those (like myself) who install LoRa mesh nodes are in frequent contact with the extremely generous property owners who volunteer their property for siting repeaters. Each repeater ends up being very helpful in extending coverage of a Lora mesh network. Often for one reason or another a property owner prefers not to be publicly identified. I am absolutely delighted to let you know that longtime Summit County resident Joanne Hanson, along with her husband Jim, has let me know that she is willing to be publicly thanked.
Joanne and Jim were the generous homeowners who made possible the most recently deployed Meshcore repeater (blog article) in Summit County, a repeater called CO-SUM-MESA-RE. (As a reminder if you have a Meshcore companion device and are located in the north end of Summit County, you can log in as a guest at this repeater with default password “hello”. Among other things you can see the battery condition of the repeater on her property, as well as the temperature of its controller.)
These days, Joanne is best known as an artist (see her blog here). But for long-time residents of Summit County she has been a fixture as a real estate broker.
Joanne shared with me some of the hopes that prompted her recently to volunteer her property for siting a Meshcore repeater.
Pet rescue. A pet owner might benefit from a Meshcore network such as is now being slowly deployed across Summit County. While most pet-tracking systems have recurring costs and rely upon cell tower coverage, a pet owner who chooses to use Meshcore has a recurring cost of zero and the tracking approach might work even if the pet has strayed to a place lacking cell tower coverage. (See my blog article about pet tracking using a LoRa mesh tag.) Joanne suggests that people consider supporting Summit Lost Pet Rescue (web site).
Search and rescue. Joanne reminds me that search and rescue people in mountain areas often work in places that lack cell tower coverage. Of course the search and rescue people have their own radios that try to reach places that cell towers do not. There are some geographic areas where LoRa mesh networks help with emergency response and search and rescue. Some day, if and when the nascent Meshcore network in Summit County grows enough, it might be helpful in this way. (LoRa devices can also help hikers and campers keep in touch when they are in areas lacking cell tower coverage.)
I invite readers to join me in sending thanks to Joanne and Jim.
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