Afrikaanse weergawe: http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?t=155823
PTAWUG Newsletter - Summer 2009
Good day,
The reason you are receiving this newsletter is either you are connected to PTAWUG or you have expressed intrest in connecting.
From humble beginnings in Pretoria East in August 2007 with 4 users PTAWUG has expanded to most of the city and has 239 users connected. This only happened because of generousity and the hard, unrelenting work done by most of the wug members, not only physical work but also in donations to buy equipment for highsites. Thanks to everyone that has contributed to PTAWUG's growth in this time.
The distance PTAWUG's Northenmost Highsite: Bultfontein (30km north of the Magalies) to the Southernmost: The Reeds is 47km as the crow flies, but 112km going by the backbone links. It's amazing to be able to send data over this distance at no cost over a network that we built ourselves.
PTAWUG and Jawug had a combined meeting in November in Kyalami, 92 people attended. Each network discussed their issues and plans seperate as well as a combined discussion about merging the two networks into something like GAUWUG. It was decided to hold off on merging as there isn't enough links between the networks to call it one network yet, as well as the difference in the models in which PTAWUG and Jawug operates. Both networks have good relations with each other and has been working together since day 1. mybroadband.co.za also sponsored R2000 worth of beer at the meeting.
Equipment
News from our suppliers is that MIRO has made PTAWUG a special offer on standard equipment - Routerboard 433, R52 radio, 27dbi grid and all the other bits and pieces for R2330 incl VAT. It's about R100 cheaper than Scoop. To get quotes just mail [email protected] or [email protected] - just tell them that you are from PTAWUG.
The prices on www.scoop.co.za are the prices PTAWUG pay, MIRO's prices differ from week to week, so it's best to get a quotation directly.
The procedure to buy equipment: Get a quote, do the EFT and send the proof of payment to the salesperson, go to MIRO or Scoop and pick up the kit.
PTAWUG gets 10% rebate on all sales that are done through our dealer accounts at miro and scoop, these funds are used to put up new higsites as well as upgrade and maintaining current ones.
The PTAWUG standard kit includes a Routerboard 433 - this routerboard can take 3 radios, thus enabling you to link to more than one highsite at the same time as well as providing coverage to other users. It is in the wug-spirit to get a RB433 as you can help your fellow wuggers and expand the network.
Signal Tests
PTAWUG has two mobile signal test kits. If you want to connect but want to make sure of signal (if you can't physically see the highsite) you can mail Hellhound - [email protected] if you are in the Pretoria Area or sense - [email protected] if you are in Centurion. Please include you address and cell number.
Wugmeet
New Highsites
Planned Highsites and Links
Highsites needed
If you have any questions or want to communicate anything to PTAWUG please mail us at [email protected]
Kind Regards
Pretoria Wireless Users Group
Web: www.ptawug.co.za
Email: [email protected]
IRC: irc.ptawug.co.za #ptawug (or irc.jawug.za.net #ptawug)
PTAWUG Newsletter - Summer 2009
Good day,
The reason you are receiving this newsletter is either you are connected to PTAWUG or you have expressed intrest in connecting.
From humble beginnings in Pretoria East in August 2007 with 4 users PTAWUG has expanded to most of the city and has 239 users connected. This only happened because of generousity and the hard, unrelenting work done by most of the wug members, not only physical work but also in donations to buy equipment for highsites. Thanks to everyone that has contributed to PTAWUG's growth in this time.
The distance PTAWUG's Northenmost Highsite: Bultfontein (30km north of the Magalies) to the Southernmost: The Reeds is 47km as the crow flies, but 112km going by the backbone links. It's amazing to be able to send data over this distance at no cost over a network that we built ourselves.
PTAWUG and Jawug had a combined meeting in November in Kyalami, 92 people attended. Each network discussed their issues and plans seperate as well as a combined discussion about merging the two networks into something like GAUWUG. It was decided to hold off on merging as there isn't enough links between the networks to call it one network yet, as well as the difference in the models in which PTAWUG and Jawug operates. Both networks have good relations with each other and has been working together since day 1. mybroadband.co.za also sponsored R2000 worth of beer at the meeting.
Equipment
News from our suppliers is that MIRO has made PTAWUG a special offer on standard equipment - Routerboard 433, R52 radio, 27dbi grid and all the other bits and pieces for R2330 incl VAT. It's about R100 cheaper than Scoop. To get quotes just mail [email protected] or [email protected] - just tell them that you are from PTAWUG.
The prices on www.scoop.co.za are the prices PTAWUG pay, MIRO's prices differ from week to week, so it's best to get a quotation directly.
The procedure to buy equipment: Get a quote, do the EFT and send the proof of payment to the salesperson, go to MIRO or Scoop and pick up the kit.
PTAWUG gets 10% rebate on all sales that are done through our dealer accounts at miro and scoop, these funds are used to put up new higsites as well as upgrade and maintaining current ones.
The PTAWUG standard kit includes a Routerboard 433 - this routerboard can take 3 radios, thus enabling you to link to more than one highsite at the same time as well as providing coverage to other users. It is in the wug-spirit to get a RB433 as you can help your fellow wuggers and expand the network.
Signal Tests
PTAWUG has two mobile signal test kits. If you want to connect but want to make sure of signal (if you can't physically see the highsite) you can mail Hellhound - [email protected] if you are in the Pretoria Area or sense - [email protected] if you are in Centurion. Please include you address and cell number.
Wugmeet
- We are having a meeting (wugmeet) the morning of the 7th of Feb at Morgenzon venue in Doornpoort (North). Current members as well as any other interested persons are welcome to attend. Please register on www.wug.za.net/wugmeet/ .PTAWUG will sponsor 4 cases of beer as well as charcoal. Please bring own meat and other dop.
- All interested persons are welcome to physically come and ask and hear what PTAWUG is about.
- Map: http://www.streetmaps.co.za/?x=28.2....005&s=m&p=0&tp=28.219156|-25.649877|wug meet
- Agenda and pictures of the venue: http://www.wug.za.net/wiki/index.php/PTAWUGmeet_2008-02-07_Agenda
- Please add any issues or questions you want to dicuss to the agenda and be at the meeting to discuss it - just edit the wiki.
New Highsites
- We can now say that the biggest part of Pretoria has PTAWUG coverage, the whole city except the CBD and Pretoria West.
- We try to link as many highsites together to improve the redundancy of the network.
- All new highsites and projects that PTAWUG needs to fund are listed on http://www.ptawug.co.za/content_list_18 - if you want to donate or help with a site, plase contact the relevant persons.
- Olympus: This highsites covers the Olympus and Faerie Glen areas on 5.8ghz - the Olympus valley has been a problem area for a long time, but through good planning and collaboration we installed the site in the begining of January. Olympus links to Constantia Park and epox.
- Die Wilgers: Of the PTAWUG sites where the most hard physical labout has gone into. It's a 1.2km walk to the top of the Bronberg, through the bushes and boulders. On top there's a 6m steel tower which was installed there 27 years ago and then brought down a few years later. We refurbished the tower and added poles to connect our antennas to. The owner of the property generously put in 400m of 220V power to the top of te mountain. The tower connects a multitude of users as well as other highsites.
- Boneschans: A highsite in the lower part of Elarduspark at DenSweep's house, he bought and installed a 15m tower next to the house, this site covers Pierre van Ryneveld, Monument Park and parts of Centurion. This is the way PTAWUG expands, users taking initiative.
- Rietvallei: One of the towers next to the R21, our equipment is 24m up, RV links the Pretoria and Centurion areas of the network together and soon Johannesburg as well. The owner of the property gave us, as a non-profit organisation, permission to use the tower. A lot of money, hard work and planning went into this project. We also have a battery backup system that can keep the site up for 2 days if the Eskom power dails. RV also provides coverage down into the R21 valley.
- Lyttleton: A good example of a user - Rexus - that took initiative and put up a 15m tower in his yard. Through this tower a lot of users like bokwortel that has struggled for 3 years to connect now has coverage.
Planned Highsites and Links
- Derdepoort: On a smallholding in the north - from this site Magalieskruin, Pretoria North, Hermon, Die Wilgers, Silverton and the new Montana Park site are visible. We can use this site to provide another link to the north as well as more redundancy. Hook is managing this project.
- Pretoria Wes: 'n Block of flats in Pretoria West that can possibly link to Riveria - from the flats we can cover Proclamation Hill, Kwaggasrand, Danville and the CBD.
- Pretoria-Witbank: winnie's project, a 70km link from from the Magaliesberg to Witbank, there is clear line of sight but tests still have to be done.
- Montana Park: Xerxes is planning this project - the highsite will cover Montana Park, Montana Gardens and Doornpoort as well as provide more redundancy in the north.
- Hermon-Riveria: We are planning to link from the Hermon Highsite in Pretoria North to Riveria through the Poort - not over the mountain, but through it.
- Upgrade of Pin Oak: bashTux is busy putting up a 15m tower in his backyard to replace the 6m pole on his roof, this will improve the line of sight from PO as well as make it easier to align the antennas.
Highsites needed
- Waterkloof/Erasmusrand: To provide another link between the Centurion and Pretoria areas we need as many highsites as possible on the ridge between the areas - Erasmusrand and Waterkloof areas. If you know or know of anyone that lives there or owns property there on the ridge and has line of sight to both sides please mail [email protected]. The money to sponsor the site is not a problem, getting permission and access is.
- Groenkloof: To provide coverage in the old east as well as the central area we need a building or house or tower we can use high up in Groenkloof. If you know of anyone or place that can work, please let us know. The owners at the current Groenkloof site are not happy about the equipment on their roof anymore.
- If you yourself or someone you know lives on a high slope or right on the top of a hill please let us know as we can use the location for a highsite.
If you have any questions or want to communicate anything to PTAWUG please mail us at [email protected]
Kind Regards
Pretoria Wireless Users Group
Web: www.ptawug.co.za
Email: [email protected]
IRC: irc.ptawug.co.za #ptawug (or irc.jawug.za.net #ptawug)