How accurate are the antenna signal diagrams in the meshcore app? I’m wondering because about an hour ago, on my still very simple thumb sized antenna, i picked up both the Allotment Repeater and Mimas repeater at Bangor. (i dont know if that is hopped from the allotment repeater or not. but it looks promising for when my 6db omni arrives this weekend)
The allotment repeater ai higher up now. So pick that up you csn probably reach us all.
@MM7FGU I still think the coax needs removed and antenna placed directly ro the board
Im getting contacts from all over at the moment through the allotment. I can hear it, but i doubt i can reach it currently. i joined the MCC Up North Aye channel. As its a very weak signal im not sure all messages are relaying through to me yet. But its exciting seeing things sort of work.
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@M7NCY great news ! yes now maybe look into something better for the loft. maybe build your self a little repeater node with a decent antenna on it somethink like this Bingfu 868MHz LoRa Antenna Weatherproof 3dBi Fiberglass N Type Male LoRaWAN Antenna With 3M ALSR240 Cable for RAK Nebra Bobcat HNT Helium Hotspot Miner SyncroBit LoraWan Gateway Lora Module Repeater: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories
But dont use the cable plug the lora board direct into the bottom of the antenna and flash the lora board with the Repeater firmware. You will need another board for client access. These connectors will connect direct to board and antenna Boobrie SMA to N Type Adapter Kit 4PCS 4G Antenna Adapter SMA Female/Male to N Male/Female Connector Signal Booster Connector N Type for CB Radio WiFi Antenna Wirelesse WiFi Router: Amazon.co.uk: Business, Industry & Science
I havent seen you on the list yet but my messages come up from pops
Go dig a hole out of the moutains Dave haha. Try it without the coax too 
I went for one of these IOT Optimised 6 dBi 868 Omni Directional Antenna and i have those SMA conectors and a bunch of other connectors here already. I was planning on potentially sticking it up on the front of our drainpipe, with a run of SMA through the window seal and have it powered on my windowsil. But if you recommend fitting the heltec direct to the base of the antenna, it’ll have to be the loft.
Yeah that looks good. Nodes ive tested with coax on dont work well ones without well there is no loss in the cable. Great project though
So i have my 6db McGill set up in the upstairs window facing north north west and dont think i can reach either the CCQ or Workington Allotment nodes from this location with the omni. I might have to wait a few months and slowly save up for a directional yagi, box, Rak, and some way to power it all and attach it to a scaffolding pole in the garden or something and just watch for the trophospheric ducting forecast to be favourable.
At least there’ll be an omni repeater covering this section of the river valley over to broughton
just leave it on it will populate. im working on a outdoor node today for broughton moor mate so keep an eye out for it coming online.
that sounds good. The node’s staying up, there’s no point if i just turn it all off throug having no contacts. I’m all for trying to grow the network.
Got the new board in so i could set up a dedicated repeater and reconfigure the old one to a companion radio. The position or the antenna config isnt final yet as im still unable to make outside contact with normal atmospheric conditions.
Heres a pic of the house. The green one. Currently the 6db omni is inside that upper window. Obviously doing pretty much nothing. Geographically the camera is looking directly from Workington side. The peach house is large and obscuring.
Im just not sure what the best option moving forward is at the moment. So far ive thought about either:
mounting the omni to the drainpipe next to that window (pipe obscured by the telegraph pole) then running 2m of X400 low noise coax into the room,
doing the same above but buying a box, removing the X400 and somehow routing 5v or 12v with a converter into the box, still using the Omni
Alternatively saving for a yagi and doing one of the options above.
Ideally thered be a yagi attached to that large chimney pointing towards the camera, but that’s something I personally cannot do as i dont have ladders and im not sure the roof would take MY weight.
even more ideally would be a 2nd reapeater node up there in a box running the Omni next to a yagi.
so much nonsense to think about 
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Progress report from the mole hill, a couple of days ago removed the yagi and followed G5LEE ‘s suggestion and mounted the repeater with directly connected dipole to the top of the mast ….. zilch nada nuffing (apart from me watching the repeater sway around in the breeze like a plate spinning stick and then sending messages to my self and logging into the repeater from Dumfries town).
So next task will be to take it down, relocate the mast a wee bit higher from ground level with the yagi and approx 10 meters of RG8 down to the heltec v3 repeater (yeah I know feeders = losses, but thats why I’m using RG8 and recon I can suffer the -1.3db whilst the yagi is +12db)
And byyyyyy then the heltec v4 should of arrived which has its own built in connection for a solar panel, so a new repeater build for mobile use using a solar light ( 2 or maybe 3 18650 to power it) the V4 has an lna for reception and a larger maximum gain of 29.9 = 986 mw but we wont talk about that.
Thats it for today 73 Dave
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@M7NCY The position of the one in Broughton Moor is direct line of sight of that big antenna mast up on the hill. Point he yagi that way. Im building a outside node am going to get it up on the pole out side soon maybe even today. Mines in my attic.
Try and aim your yagi towards Workington from the back of the house there is one up top of Knock Murton Hill, you may get that one. I think your too low down to reach Broughton Moor.
Theres also now a new one ive just installed at Whitehaven too. Its one of @Steve Meshcore Cumbria Nodes.
Ill try get mine put out side today ! it just needs a power run its not solar.
Lee
keep going @MM7FGU ive just fitted a new outside node up top of Kells in Whitehaven. Maybe try a aim to that one instead. Am gonna get one put outside at mine at some point mines in the attic right now and ive 2 yagis on order.
Lee
Using the UK Radio Line of Sight tools from my gaff to where i think the gentleman with the radio masts is in Broughton Moor i get the following graph
If its remotely close to where the nodes are on the meshcore map, its this:
and to the allotment repeater its this:
I Think the only way i’d reliably reach the allotment would be a repeater somewhere near the school at GreatClifton
This is the site i’ve been looking at for that data
thats my LOS from my house to the big mast in broughton moor. i’ll see about getting a yagi ordered.
@M7NCY yeah what about the LOS to the repeater up on the moutain towards workington way ?
maybe build a little solar node and put it up on a hill in LOS of you?
You should actually pick Broughton Moor up. Its my node up in Broughton Moor. Let me get it out side. Ill tell you when its outside.
Ive looked at the topography and from my back garden where this image is from, you can see a ridge across the top of the fields(this is facing south), that location up there can pretty much see Knock Murton, so i’d have to guerilla a repeater up there somehow if we can’t make contact through the front, to broughton moor.
edit: additionally i can see the Broughton Moor antenna mast with my binoculars from my bedroom.
have you tried looking at this site for LOS and topographical data, to see where you’re getting blocked?
might help you visualise where you’ll need a repeater etc.