Boing Boing mentions the Starsight, a solar-powered WiFi access point that powers a streetlamp, a CCTV camera and WiMax backhaul.
The system consists of a dual radio providing 2.4 GHz WiFi access to subscribers, using a high gain omni antenna, and a 5.8 GHz backhaul from nex-G Systems, using a high gain (26db) parabolic antenna.
nex-G Systems will incorporate Wavesat’s Evolutive DM256 WiMAX chipset for the unlicensed 5.8 GHz band. nex-G will deploy their first WiMAX compliant system later in the year. The nex-G Horizon WiMAX platform includes a range of products from Base Station, Backhaul and various form factors of Subscriber Stations.
Current flow and voltage are monitored, maximizing the light output of the LED-based light head.
The sun keeps bus stops lit, thanks to solar powered signs in London.
Kolam, which is making the solar powered platform, is based in London. The two founding partners focus on sustainable development projects in various areas of the world, with support from governmental and international partners.
Sharp’s new solar-powered streetlight ($4500), might be just the ticket for Community LANs. The 34 Watt solar panel provides 10 Watt illumination (ten 1-W lamps) approximately 7 hours from sunset. Sharp also makes “illuminating solar panels” (Lumiwall) where solar cells and LED lights are combined in a translucent flat panel.
Access points with built-in wireless backhaul are available from Linksys, NETGEAR, D-Link, Ctek Skyrouter 4100, Entree Box, Junxion Box, StompBox, Kyocera’s KR1, Omniway, Possio PX40 Wireless Router and GlobeSurfer 3G.
Most use EVDO cards for the backhaul. But you might substitute WiFi or WiMax cards for anywhere access.
Since a dual radio Soekris box or WiFi APs with cellular backbones consume about 15 watts, perhaps a 40 watt panel could power a stand alone WiFi AP with wireless backhaul (loose the 10 watt LED). Or slip in an Airspan EasyST client with integrated WiFi and WiMax backhaul. An access point might have to run 18-24 hours a day, so perhaps a couple of 40-50 watt panels would be necessary.
Would that be enough solar power? If it works in London…
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Boulder, Colorado’s solar powered access point uses Lumin’s solar-powered AP, the LightWave AP-1000. It’s based on an Orinoco AP2000, used in Denver. The battery can power it for 72 hours and the solar panels can charge the battery in as little as 4 hours.
Proxim’s AP-4000 draws 10 watts as does their MP-11a bridge.
A laptop computer with LCD display might require about 70 watts of power (at 120 volts). First multiply 70 watts x 1.15 (to add 15% for the consumption of an inverter) and get 80 watts. Dividing 80 watts by 120 volts = .67 amps of constant load. A mid-size Optima deep cycle battery like the $170 D34 is rated 55 AH (amp hours) @ 12 volts.
If an inverter will be converting the battery’s 12V current to 120V (which is greater by a factor of 10), we divide the battery’s 55AH rating by that same factor of 10, and the result is that the D34 battery has a rating of 5.5AH @ 120V. Then divide that 5.5AH battery rating by the laptop’s consumption of .67 amps. That results in 8.2 hours running through an inverter.
It also implies that an Optima D34 deep cycle battery (about the size of a car battery) should run a modern, low power WiFi enabled laptop or tablet pc (using less than 40 watts), as well as an AP/backhaul (20 watts), for 8-10 hours.
An emergency kiosk might cost less than $5K. Run it up a telescoping flag pole. Juice or not. Google Earth with a transit tracker and travel planner could make it fly.
Did someone say “location-based advertising“? Not the newspapers. Fer sure. It’s the domain of a start-up. Small stick radio. A DVB-H party. The Discontinous Change.
Related DailyWireless stories include; Solar Electric to Go, Access Points as Pencils, Linksys WiFi/Cellular Access Point, Mobile Hotspot How To, Hamster Powered Phone, Solar Powered WiFi, Solar PC, Revenue for the “Free” Cloud, Alternative Power for Wireless, Wireless Netcams and Transit Wireless.
