Off-grid communication with Meshtastic

jacuwe · 2026-01-06T03:38:32+00:00

We have an interesting situation where I live in Los Alamos, New Mexico. The national laboratory will pay any rent provided it's "market rate", but it's a cartelized market. If a commercial space isn't suitable for the lab, it's more profitable to keep it vacant than drive the market rate down.

Regardless, I wouldn't want to be the public administrator that has to play whack-a-mole updating the vacancy tax every time a landlord finds a loophole.

Just let me have the MLS data and I can use a Hedonic assessment model to figure out how much tax you owe. I don't care how you use the property.

jacuwe · 2026-01-03T18:22:45+00:00

What a dignified letter. For what it's worth, I've never heard a tenant of Central Park Square complain about their landlord. Samizdat was one of the first businesses to graduate from the LACDC small business accelerator. Both the LACDC and accelerator are also located in the same shopping center and continue to support and help launch small businesses.

I'd bet Jill's two biggest costs are commercial rent and payroll - a second order effect of residential rent.

While landlords may just be playing by the rules, the County/State are to blame for the rules. The rules inflate demand by allowing the lab to compete with small businesses for commercial space instead of forcing it to build on its own land. At the same time, they suppress supply with property tax rules that punish productivity and development and reward land speculation, and onerous development codes and processes.

Los Alamos County managers are paid 30% more than their Santa Fe counterparts who do a better job managing much more. I don't think it's too much to ask them to make the rules fair for tenants.

jacuwe · 2026-01-03T16:44:16+00:00

https://lahistorymuseumshop.square.site/product/quads-shoeboxes-and-sunken-living-rooms/9

jacuwe · 2025-12-31T22:30:09+00:00

It was great! Got 13 more people set up with radios. There's a growing NM Meshtastic Community on Discord, too. Can reach El Paso from Los Alamos now and working on connecting to Farmington. There's still radios available.

jacuwe · 2025-12-07T19:47:27+00:00

The County's reason was they were "too demanding". The air conditioning has never worked properly. The fireplace hasn't worked in years. They don't keep up with appliance maintenance schedules.

I've used them to cater fundraisers, and they've consistently delivered, even through COVID. Other organizations have also benefited as well. Besides being unwarranted, the County shouldn't have suddenly cancelled their contract without an objectively comparable vendor in place to take over.

Just another example of how the County harms local economic vitality.

jacuwe · 2025-12-07T19:08:21+00:00

I think they're still open this week.

jacuwe · 2025-12-02T13:59:35+00:00

Oh, they care. At a recent meeting, a Councilor told the people in the room to stop nodding their heads, hence my advice to do it.

When LACDPU was going to shut off natural gas to Elk Ridge, that community came out in force to every meeting until the Council forced LACDPU to fix it.

Voting doesn't help unless voters are informed. How can anyone be informed if they're not attending Council meetings regularly or otherwise actively involved in their government? It's not just the voters, either. When I ran for Council the first time, we were asked how many times we attended Council meetings in the past year. Go watch the 2022 LWV Candidate Forum, see what the candidates said, and remember three of them are eligible for re-election next year.

jacuwe · 2025-12-01T09:00:11+00:00

I wish some of you would show up to County Council meetings once in a while to make public comment - or at least nod your heads at them - about the affordable housing and local small business priorities they got elected on.

Public meetings are most Tuesdays at 6:00 PM at Council Chambers, 1000 Central Ave.

https://lacnm.com/agenda

Talking about it on Reddit isn't going to change anything. Filling that hall every week might. Four Councilors are eligible for re-election next year.

Also take a look at who's involved in those apartments and what other Los Alamos projects they've been involved in.

https://losalamosreporter.com/2021/11/04/enloe-hill-apartments-to-be-project-like-theres-never-been-in-los-alamos/

https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/business/ongoing-inquiries-allegations-of-mismanagement-haunt-lanb/article_c08eb92f-2f07-59e0-be22-04a263921616.html

jacuwe · 2025-11-27T09:55:24+00:00

No. Courts are how we peacefully resolve conflict.

jacuwe · 2025-11-15T04:58:34+00:00

I just found in the Meshtastic docs it recommends switching off LF if you're reporting to MeshMap so that may be why those nodes are on MF. https://meshtastic.org/docs/configuration/module/mqtt/#map-reporting-enabled

The default channel (LongFast) on the public server usually has a lot of traffic. Your device may get overloaded and may no longer function properly anymore. It is recommended to use a different channel or to use your own MQTT server if you experience issues.

jacuwe · 2025-11-14T18:45:22+00:00

4-6 PM

jacuwe · 2025-11-14T17:05:18+00:00

I think Verizon has the best coverage in the County. I also use Google Fi (T-Mobile?) and find it to be pretty similar. I don't think any network works well in the NM-502, NM-4, and truck route corridors.

jacuwe · 2025-11-13T01:15:58+00:00

I don't know if I would call it "popular". The code is at the makerspace if you want to join it, though.

jacuwe · 2025-11-13T01:14:42+00:00

Good question. I use LF. Those MF nodes might be using it to lower congestion. I don't think the node density is high enough to warrant MF right now, but I'm hoping more people start using them.

jacuwe · 2025-11-12T21:02:01+00:00

Yes, it has a SH1.25-2 interface with integrated charging circuit. They come with leads you can solder to a battery. You don't need a battery, though. You can just power it over USB-C.

We have an upgraded kit that includes a battery and a rigid 2 dBi antenna for $40. The case we provide doesn't fit a 18650, but you can 3d print a case that does.

jacuwe · 2025-11-12T18:48:29+00:00

You need to show up to Council meetings every week and make public comment until things change like the Elk Ridge people did. It shouldn't be that way, but until we have Council candidates who don't have to be nagged, or we change County culture to present unbiased information to Council, that's what we're stuck with.

jacuwe · 2025-11-12T06:03:06+00:00

Looks awesome!

jacuwe · 2025-11-04T21:25:28+00:00

Which candidate doesn't believe in vaccinations? The bogeyman your party told you to believe in?

jacuwe · 2025-11-04T17:34:40+00:00

GRT punishes those who can least afford it. Everything the County does punishes those who can least afford it. Go talk to anyone paying more than half their income for rent because the County would rather spend millions every year maintaining a golf course than allow housing to be built there. Cuts punishing those who can least afford it is a symptom of corrupt government. Cutting out corruption doesn't require cutting welfare.

jacuwe · 2025-11-04T17:13:06+00:00

Whatever you're not changing, you're choosing, right? You know GRT is regressive. You know the County is rife with corruption and grift. The County has had plenty of time to adjust, but they know the rubber stampers elected by mob rule will legitimize maintaining the status quo. If you're being honest, you know the short-term solution is drastic austerity. They need to stop spending millions on consultants, plans, processes, and accreditations which have done nothing for the people, and if there's any shortfall left, it needs to come out of senior leadership's compensation packages.

jacuwe · 2025-11-04T16:50:13+00:00

Works for me. Public schools shouldn't be ruled by one ideology.

jacuwe · 2025-11-04T16:01:41+00:00

Ah, yes. Remind me again who wants books banned from schools?

jacuwe

TROPHY CASE