Mountain Climb

Our solar installation in the Solitario is moving along.  We are currently waiting on parts, but there is still much to do with what we have.

Our group has some experience with wireless technology, and when you have a large area to cover with electronics that becomes useful. My parents' new property does not have internet service, but we do. So our solution is to wirelessly (WiFi) transmit internet to their house.

The distance between the two homes is only a mile, which would not be a problem if we were making a point to point connection, but there is a hill between the properties. WiFi is usually transmitted line-of-sight, meaning if you cannot see the source of your signal, you probably can't receive the signal no mater how powerful it may be. Arick has recently been modifying wireless routers for use as WiFi repeaters, meaning that it simply takes a signal and repeats it. So, voila! The perfect device to put on the hill between the two homes.

We built version 1.0 with a 15 watt solar panel a 20 amp-hour AGM battery. We put the router in a five-gallon bucket for weatherproofing. We have set our repeater up and it works, but it still needs a few more design tweaks before it will be perfect. Right now the signal on the other end is a little weak, so we are raising the antenna five feet.

Recently, we all went for hike up the mountain on the new property and it was quite the journey. We chose to ascend the steep side. There was plenty of lechugilla in our path, but some carefully steps protected our shins. Also, we followed Sprocket's lead, since he usually knows the best path to climb.

At the top of the mountain (technically the foothill of the West Corazon) we found a spacious ridge with all kinds of geological features and foliage. But some of the most amazing sights were the 360 degree views.

We descended the other side of the mountain which was more gradual, and for much of the way we were able to use a solid limestone water runoff that was carved into the mountain. Beautiful and functional.

Yesterday we visited our friend Dennis to see how the results of our solar consulting turned out. The amended setup was a success! Dennis added three 200 watt Sun Electric panels and a MorningStar charge controller.

After that, Sara and I did a run to Alpine for food, building supplies, and Sprocket's booster shots. We got supplies to finish our workshop/shed and lots of materials for Tim's job.