Hosting a Liberty Hill Mesh node

What is Liberty Hill Mesh?

• A free, non-commercial text messaging network built on small, low-power LoRa radios and open source MeshCore software.
• Nobody owns it. Every node is hosted by a neighbor, a business, a church, or a ranch, and together those nodes are the network. There is no company behind it, no account, and nothing to subscribe to.
• The goal is a network that keeps working when cell service does not: after a storm, an ice event, a flood, or a grid outage. On an ordinary day, it is a way to reach friends and family across town without a phone plan.
• Liberty Hill Mesh is one part of a single, much larger mesh. Volunteers from Killeen to San Antonio put up nodes and carry radios on the same open network, and a message can already travel that whole distance with no cell service in between. Every community that adds nodes improves coverage for everyone, and everyone with a radio is part of it. Neighboring groups such as Austin Mesh are independent of us; we share a protocol and a preset, not an organization.

Why does Liberty Hill need it?

• Liberty Hill is spread out. Ranch land, acreage lots, and the San Gabriel river bottoms have thin or no cell coverage on a good day. When the towers go down, everyone loses it.
• Every hosted node fills a gap and gives messages another path, so no single failure takes the network down.
• We are in the process of partnering with the City of Liberty Hill to add coverage across the city limits and the surrounding area, at no cost to taxpayers.

What does hosting a node mean for me?

• If we supply the node, there is nothing to pay and nothing to do. If you would rather buy and host your own, budget $50 to $400 or more depending on the build. Either way your roof quietly helps your neighbors every day.
• You join a growing list of neighbors, ranches, churches, and local businesses making the area more resilient.
• Own a business? We will work with you to name the node something that benefits your business, so every message it relays carries your name.

What gets installed, and how is it powered?

• A weatherproof box about the size of a lunchbox holding the radio and a battery, plus a short antenna and a small solar panel.
• The whole kit weighs under 2 pounds. Picture a Wi-Fi router with a taller antenna.
• It runs on its own solar panel and battery. Nothing plugs into your house, barn, or well house, and your electric bill never sees it.

How is it mounted?

• The box and antenna clamp to a mast, a pole, or something you already have standing. No wires run into the building.
• Magnets, u-bolts, or hose clamps hold it in place. Nothing gets drilled or screwed into your property.

What maintenance is required?

• Very little. A node runs unattended for months at a time.
• Expect a visit once or twice a year to update firmware or look the hardware over.
• If you want access terms in writing, we are glad to do that. We schedule visits weeks or months ahead and always check with you first, especially on gated or working ranch property.

What range will the node cover?

• Elevation decides it. A low site reaches 2 miles or so. A high one reaches 10 or more.
• Liberty Hill sits on the edge of the Hill Country, so ridgetop and hilltop sites see a long way. Valley sites still matter, because they connect the neighborhoods the hilltops cannot reach directly.
• It runs in the same license-free band as garage door openers and baby monitors, 902 to 928 MHz, which the FCC sets aside for industrial, scientific, and medical use.

Will it interfere with anything I already have?

• Every radio we use is FCC certified, which means it was tested for interference before it could be sold.
• Interference is very unlikely. The radios transmit at very low power on frequencies that Wi-Fi, cell phones, satellite TV, and broadcast TV do not use.
• Some utility water meters share the band, but they sit more than 10 MHz away from our channel.
• We can share spec sheets if you or your engineer want to look them over.

Who is liable if something goes wrong?

• As with anything else on your land, premises liability stays with the property owner.
• The equipment is small, low voltage, solar powered, and firmly mounted, so the chance of an incident is remote.
• The node itself is our equipment and our risk. If it fails or goes missing, we replace it at our own expense.

Do I need a permit, and what about my HOA?

• Small antennas on non-commercial installations do not need a permit, whether you are inside the City of Liberty Hill or out in unincorporated Williamson County.
• Some HOAs and building rules limit what can go on a roof. Many Liberty Hill neighborhoods have an HOA, so check your covenants. Texas law limits how far an HOA can go on solar panels, but antenna rules vary.
• If you rent, lease the land, or share the property with others, get the owner's permission in writing first.

Will it attract lightning?

No.

How long does it stay, and who owns it?

• Two ways to host. We can own and manage the node, or we can donate it to you to run yourself. Either way it stays part of the mesh.
• If you want a set term or a written agreement, we will draw one up with you.
• There is no long-term commitment. Ask us to take it down, or take it down yourself, whenever you like. We just ask that you let us know, so we can put the hardware back to work somewhere else.