Garden Light Turned Mesh Network Node

[lxm]

https://hackaday.com/2024/01/21/garden-light-turned-mesh-network-node/

[_spduchamp]

I recently learned you can attach garden light solar panels to audio jacks to turn vibrations in light into sound.

I mounted two in a suitcase to make a DIY synth.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2L2k3ZNBTC/

It's such an easy and fun hack.

[jasonjayr → _spduchamp]

How does the sound change if you use a candle or some other analog light source? (or even a DC battery with a non-LED light?)

[_spduchamp → jasonjayr]

If it is a solid light there is no sound. It is the change in light value that makes the sound. A candle flame would make a wobbly electric signal that you could use as a control on a CV modular synth but it wouldn't be much of an audible sound on its own.

[mikeweiss]

How well could meshtastic work in a natural or man made disaster where internet and power grids are down?

[amatecha → mikeweiss]

One of Meshtastic's common applications is standalone solar nodes that just sit on the top of a large hill or mountain and relay messages "indefinitely". There are a few in my area and it enables basic text communication even if there was no internet or power grid. Here's a recent video on building a solar Meshtastic node: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCrBMthrCKc

[eql5 → mikeweiss]

There are limitations. It scales well with a maximum number of around 70-80 nodes, which is a quite low number.

[eternityforest → eql5]

IIRC that's per-channel, but nodes can relay data for channels they aren't members of

[worthless-trash → mikeweiss]

If its solar powered, then it should work to some capacity.