The HPWREN backbone now extends via an FCC-licensed path from the ocean to the mountains

The radio and antenna replacement for a link in the southern loop of the HPWREN backbone finally allows for an all FCC-licensed path from coastal area to Mt. Laguna. This was an important step towards stabilizing the performance of the network for many sensors and other sites connected from the mountains and the desert. Previously HPWREN still had a license-exempt 5.8GHz link in the path which was subject to unplanned outages caused by radio issues and interference.

This graphic show a new topology map, with the white line in the lower right illustrating the upgraded link.

Due to the local situation at the two backbone sites, the upgrade first utilized a crane on Mt. Laguna, and a helicopter to complete the link.

Utilizing a crane for the deployment on Mt. Laguna was necessary to allow for a safe installation, since there is no tower structure above the large antennas, and also since the site is near a dropoff from more than 6000 feet elevation into the desert. Videos of the crane-based installation are available in both streamable Adobe Flash and high-definition MPEG2 formats.

HPWREN participants in the installations were Hans-Werner Braun, Pablo Bryant, Bud Hale, Jim Hale, and Ron Serabia. The contractor company for the crane was "Paul's Crane," and "Blackhawk Helicopters, Inc." for the helicopter. With special credit to CAL FIRE for staff from the Gillespie Helitak Base and the Dulzura Fire Station for providing ground support at the staging site, and helping to make sure that this was a safe operation.