More stomping around in the woods seeing what these little nodes can do
Time time I pretty much repeated the same "test" as I did in my Test 2 video. Only this time I did not place the node that I was using to hop my message from my location to where my truck was parked on a mast. This time I place the "repeater" node in the brush roughly chest hike.
While one should expect better results with the repeater node higher above the ground, increasing it's line of sight, having all three nodes at or around chest height may be a more realistic test scenario. If there was a group of people, mobile in vehicles or on foot, it would be less likely a mast would be used.
The testing I did on this outing would be applicable to several people out hiking in the woods or perhaps moving about an urban setting.
My unscientific test results showed that I got roughly half the range as the previous day's test. About 0.63 miles with the nodes at chest height versus the roughly 1.26 miles with one of the nodes raised 20-22 feet above the ground.
Keep in mind what you see in these tests are only what I would consider "local" or "site specific" range results. Topography, natural and man made obstructions, and even atmospheric conditions can impact the range of the nodes. Not to mention the nodes themselves, battery levels, power settings, antennas,etc.
With all that said
I am fairly pleased by the results. Being able to send text messages and position reports more than a half mile through the woods with simple low power devices is not too bad on its own. Now factor in the mesh network capabilities with have several people scattered out in a given area, and the potential is there.