run 1/2 watt (500mw that has about a 15db gain in to get it down your line and using lmr400) with a 24dbi parabolic at 25 feet or so you can easily go 20-30 miles assuming you don't have a mountain between you or a bunch of sky scrapers
and its completely legal. i have built the configuration many many times (mind
you that it will not be but probably around 2mb/s transfer but still thats not
terrible for the distance you're going)


Getting closer yet? :)

Spec

PS: Not a local example, may not be legal here...


--- SuperBBS v1.17-3 (Eval)
* Origin: <Shoot'n the breeze on The Lower Planes> (21:3/106.10)

I dont know what any of that means, but I'd be willing to have a
play.

I am no "authority" on this, so anyone can make whatever corrections they like,
I'd check all assumptions made by this data though.

It appears that ~2mW = ~1dBm, +whatever gain you get out of your antenna, for arguments sake my 14db Yagi.. The legal maximum for a Mug user like myself is 36dBm.

You can also lose some of that gain into your antenna lead at some rate per metre depending on the cabling used.

If you hold an amateur license you can exceed that power output by some amount I don't know, because I've never had one :)

Spec


--- SuperBBS v1.17-3 (Eval)
* Origin: <Shoot'n the breeze on The Lower Planes> (21:3/106.10)

Ok lets see what I have...

An Orange Pi R1 max TX power of 15dBm in 802.11g
My ~14dBm Yagi, with minimal line loss, mount the Pi on the antenna.

I've got some 29dBm TX power, out of the max 36dBm.

My Maximum Antenna height these days is probably about 3M, second floor plus an
extendable roller pole as an extension. I can only face east or west, and east is a waste of time.

Thats the limitations I have to work with. I s'pose I should actually Avengers
assemble this thing and take a look out there and see what can be seen. But as has always been the case, I'm not expecting much to be there, finding someone to connect to within range (with LOS) is always exceedingly difficult.

Spec


--- SuperBBS v1.17-3 (Eval)
* Origin: <Shoot'n the breeze on The Lower Planes> (21:3/106.10)

try around 120-150km (depending what part of Melbourne) with 2 major mountains (Mt Macedon and Mt Alexander) plus a lesser but

You'll have to climb to the top and add two honking great passive antennas to the top of, I'm guessing Macedon is taller, and point it into the shadow zone :)

Spec


--- SuperBBS v1.17-3 (Eval)
* Origin: <Shoot'n the breeze on The Lower Planes> (21:3/106.10)

Average Tx RF power 120W max (for an Advanced licence). Also watch
EMR exposure limits, especially if people are likely to be in front
of the beam (e.g. someone further up a hill).

Chuckle, you'd be warming them up. But you wouldn't want to shoot people with your beam, they'd attenuate to much signal :P Reminds me of the Darwin Awards...https://darwinawards.com/legends/legends1998-11.html

Spec


--- SuperBBS v1.17-3 (Eval)
* Origin: <Shoot'n the breeze on The Lower Planes> (21:3/106.10)

I think the losses would be a problem. :P

Nah, because its passive, you can make it as big as you like :)

Spec


--- SuperBBS v1.17-3 (Eval)
* Origin: <Shoot'n the breeze on The Lower Planes> (21:3/106.10)

Passive still has free space losses, and there's also engineering
issues if you make it too big, not to mention aviation hazards,
etc. :)

Chuckle, now your talking. Probably make sense to have a giant parabola on one
size and something smaller and more directional on the other. I didn't say it'd be perfect but it "should" work despite some losses. Be better than no signal :)


--- SuperBBS v1.17-3 (Eval)
* Origin: <Shoot'n the breeze on The Lower Planes> (21:3/106.10)

Then still gotta get over the other 2 barriers to here. :P

Hang on, we just bunged a giant antenna array on top of Mt Macedon (assuming is
the highest point) pointed it in your direction, and whats your end doing? Sitting on the floor? You also have to get it up, so to speak ;)

Spec


--- SuperBBS v1.17-3 (Eval)
* Origin: <Shoot'n the breeze on The Lower Planes> (21:3/106.10)