Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Build Your Own Solar Powered Hotspot

Posted by Zonk on from the i'm-popular! dept.

hode writes "Popular Science has a how-to article up on turning a backpack into a portable, solar-powered Wi-Fi hotspot. Possible uses include providing Wi-Fi access for a road-trip caravan." From the article: "Its secret ingredient: the Junxion Box. Plug a cellular-network card into the book-size open-source-based device, and voil--instant Wi-Fi hotspot, with speeds averaging around 700 kilobits per second. To power the box, I wired it to a 1.2-amp-hour battery and dropped both into the Voltaic Systems backpack, which has a built-in solar charger."

9 of 144 comments (clear)

  1. Well... by DanielNS84 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I can't help but wonder how well this would work if it rained during your whole weekend camping trip? Since that would seem like the time you'd want to use it. ;)

    --
    Marky Mark Killed Jason Bourne!
    1. Re:Well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Well, if you're going camping anywhere that has celluar coverage, It isint really camping ;)

      ffa.gotdns.com

  2. Small Problems... by dancpsu · · Score: 5, Insightful

    1) This thing costs over $1000

    2) EV-DO cellular internet service for the internet connection is $80/mo

    Maybe it would be better just to deal with being away from the internet when you're camping...

    --
    "Scientists don't change their minds, they just die." -- Max Planck
  3. Re: A glimpse of the future in Personal Area Netwo by USSJoin · · Score: 3, Insightful

    That's what Bluetooth was for, I thought. Why do we need this (hideously expensive) box to be a PAN when we have the (slightly less expensive and not needing an additional box) Bluetooth to di it already?

  4. Re: A glimpse of the future in Personal Area Netwo by dancpsu · · Score: 2, Insightful

    All very nice expensive electronic gadgets to make you a good target for a mugger...

    --
    "Scientists don't change their minds, they just die." -- Max Planck
  5. voila by brsmith4 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    voila. Viola is a musical instrument.

  6. Too Bad... by rivid · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Too bad that if you opened the backpack in public, someone would probably shout "bomb!".

  7. Totally Wireless by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 2, Insightful

    How about wrapping the whole package in solar cells, mounting it in the middle of a 1m diameter fishing net, and throwing it up into the trees? Do that with enough to put 3 APs in every 300' radius, all through the woods. Set a server connected to the network (maybe via a remote Pringles can) to ping each one, notifying when one has dropped off the network. Then go find it on the ground, and fling it up again.

    Now you've got a rural area with a truly wireless network. It's easy to maintain the mesh. And these apps are cheap enough that a community can afford to do it, without a big cost per person.

    --

    --
    make install -not war

  8. Re:viola by Loconut1389 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    hardly offtopic, even from me, the loser in the duel.