Event communications
Provide an elevated or strategically placed relay for temporary communities where ordinary infrastructure is overloaded, patchy, or absent.
PROJECT_BRIEF.TXT
Outdoor node // event network // community infrastructure
A small piece of infrastructure with a long view.
The Solar Hive Mesh Node is a weather-resistant, solar-powered radio station intended to extend local communications without depending on conventional cellular or internet service.
The design is less interested in being a sealed gadget and more interested in being a maintainable field system: understandable wiring, replaceable parts, visible status, documented configuration, and an enclosure that can be opened without a ritual.
THE REAL GOAL: not magical range. A stable, serviceable node that stays online,
forwards useful traffic, and survives long enough to teach the next revision what it needs.
MISSION_ROLES.DIR
What the node is being built to do
Community experimentation
Support local mesh pilots, coverage testing, node-placement studies, and practical training with resilient communications.
Always-on gateway work
Remain available as a fixed point for routing, monitoring, logging, and eventually bridging adjacent tools such as ATAK-capable workflows.
Remote-site infrastructure
Serve places where small packets matter more than broadband, including rural properties, field projects, and mission-oriented deployments.
SIGNAL_PATH.SYS
From sunlight to forwarded packet
Solar input
Panel converts available light into charging current.
Charge control
MPPT charging manages energy into the battery system.
Compute
Raspberry Pi-class host runs node services, logging, and local interfaces.
Radio
US915 mesh hardware transmits, receives, and forwards small packets.
Network
Nearby nodes gain another route, observation point, and piece of shared infrastructure.
[ 6V / 10W SOLAR ]
|
[ MPPT CHARGER ]
|
[ 10,000 + 5,000 mAh ]
|
+----------+-----------+
| |
[ Raspberry Pi host ] [ power telemetry ]
|
[ US915 mesh radio ]
|
[ bulkhead + 915 MHz antenna ]
|
))) local packets )))
NODE_STACK.CSV
Current working stack
| LAYER | WORKING COMPONENT | ROLE |
|---|---|---|
| Host | Raspberry Pi platform | Runs the node software, local services, logging, and interface experiments. |
| Display | Compact TFT interface | Provides local status and service information without requiring another device. |
| Radio | US915 LoRa / Meshtastic-compatible hardware | Handles mesh traffic and relay duties. |
| Antenna | 915 MHz external omni with SMA bulkhead | Moves the RF system outside the enclosure and supports field-swappable antennas. |
| Solar | 6V / 10W panel | Supplies charging energy for unattended operation. |
| Storage | 10,000 mAh + 5,000 mAh battery capacity | Provides reserve energy through darkness, weather, and changing loads. |
| Charging | CN3791 MPPT controller | Manages solar charging into the battery system. |
| Enclosure | SolarHive Node Enclosure | Protects, organizes, mounts, and makes the system serviceable outdoors. |
DEPLOYMENT_MODES.DIR
Where the node wants to go
Fixed community node
Mounted at a useful elevation with stable solar exposure and regular access for inspection.
Festival relay
Installed temporarily to support camps, operations, art projects, and participant communications.
Elevated experiment
Carried upward by a mast or moored-balloon concept to test how height changes coverage and routing behavior.
Remote property node
Placed where intermittent internet is acceptable but local low-bandwidth communication remains valuable.
FIELD_TEST_PLAN.CSV
What earns the word “field”
| TEST | QUESTION | USEFUL RESULT |
|---|---|---|
| Power endurance | Does the node remain online through night, cloud, and changing traffic? | Measured runtime and a realistic energy budget. |
| Thermal behavior | What happens inside the enclosure under Florida sun? | Known temperature margins and ventilation decisions. |
| Coverage | How do antenna placement, height, and surroundings change usable routes? | Repeatable field observations rather than folklore. |
| Recovery | Does the node return cleanly after depleted power, reboot, or radio failure? | Predictable self-start and documented intervention steps. |
| Serviceability | Can a tired human inspect and replace parts without dismantling the universe? | A field-maintenance procedure that survives contact with reality. |
HONEST_LIMITS.NFO
What the node does not promise
No universal coverage
Terrain, buildings, foliage, antenna choices, node density, and height all matter. “LoRa goes miles” is not a deployment plan.
No free energy
Solar operation still requires a measured power budget, battery reserve, weather assumptions, and hardware that behaves differently when hot.
No maintenance-free fantasy
Connectors corrode, batteries age, firmware changes, and insects occasionally express interest in infrastructure.
No replacement for broadband
This network is for resilient small packets, location-independent messaging, and useful local data, not streaming a festival through a straw.
BUILD_STATUS.LOG
node@solarhive:~$ status --verbose
[ENCLOSURE] design identity established
[SOLAR] panel, batteries, and MPPT architecture selected
[HOST] Raspberry Pi platform active in development
[RADIO] hardware integration remains the critical test path
[DEPLOYMENT] event, community, and remote-site roles defined
[NEXT] complete reliable radio integration and begin measured outdoor endurance tests_
[ENCLOSURE] design identity established
[SOLAR] panel, batteries, and MPPT architecture selected
[HOST] Raspberry Pi platform active in development
[RADIO] hardware integration remains the critical test path
[DEPLOYMENT] event, community, and remote-site roles defined
[NEXT] complete reliable radio integration and begin measured outdoor endurance tests_
RETURN_PATH.URL