Hi guys
I used to have a HS outside Stellenbosch on the R44 that covered the whole of Welgevonden and 3/4 of town.
I see there is still no HS that covers the town. I will phone the people I used to deal with later this week.
I don’t have Internet at home so cannot plot it. Will do so from work tomorrow.
Regards
Node plotted:
Mail is sent to my old contacts on that hill. Back in 2007-2010 I had a HS up there on my student network to provide people in Welgevonden with internet. If you check the node, it covers a lot of the town.
Regards
Let’s chat Saturday, I have colleagues that are willing to help with kit etc to get connectivity in Stellies again.
I’m just waiting for feedback from the owner of that house. I’ve dropped him and his mother an email.
I’ve got a brand new Litebeam AC 15dbi Sector lying here that you can use for close proximity sector over welgevonden. However to reach the town a strong RB sector will have to do.
Regards
It will have to do PtP link to him, as he is in Die Boord and another in Jonkershoek area, around 7km.
Will have to be planned properly to get the best coverage. See you Saturday.
While we’re talking about HS in Stellenbosch.
During this same time, I had a highsite right on top of Kaymandi as well, on the Rape Crisis Center’s roof. Back then it was still an RB333 with 2x square Sectors, mounted in the middle of the roof which had a small loft window effect. The kit was grounded with a massive spike that was hit into the ground with a cable running to the pole. I also used (cannot recall the name - DBii or something), these big red Mini-PCI radios that had their own lightning protection build in.
Now in this building is multiple hospital beds, like 12 of them or so placed around the room with an open kitchen and then 2 or so small rooms for private care. They attend to either rape victims, elderly or people with last stage AIDS.
One night during a massive storm in 2009, this HS of mine was lightning strike. (This story was covered in the Eikestad Nuus with witness accounts) so here goes: The lightning didn’t follow the cable and then down in the ground. It decided to arch it self through the little loft window next to the mast. Hit right in the middle of the floor of the room. In the process it burst all the wires out of the walls & exploded the geyser. The middle of the floor had a hole in it, like a crater impact and with the geyser that exploded it was raining from the ceiling.
Now the people inside thought it was the end of days and coming of christ - they all dropped on their knees and started to pray around this hole in the floor, especially the few of them that were awake of the storm and saw this massive flash down into the middle of the room.
The one square sector had a perfect hole right through it where the lightning pass and everything inside the IP65 enclosure was melted into a piece of goo.
So moral of the story, make sure the grounding works 100%. The Center’s insurance paid out + they got a crap load of donations from the public so they were happier off than before the lightning strike. I however sat with some melted good. haha.
That’s hectic dude, I would probably also have though its the end of days or at least a natural disaster lol
Still waiting for e-mail feedback. If I don’t get something this week, I’ll just phone next week.
Will keep you guys in the loop.