http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/26/maxstream-announces-xbee-the-40-mile-range-zigbee-bridge/ Engadget Comments for MaxStream announces XBee, the 40-mile range ZigBee bridge http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/26/maxstream-announces-xbee-the-40-mile-range-zigbee-bridge/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/26/maxstream-announces-xbee-the-40-mile-range-zigbee-bridge/Oct 26th 2006 8:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/26/maxstream-announces-xbee-the-40-mile-range-zigbee-bridge/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/26/maxstream-announces-xbee-the-40-mile-range-zigbee-bridge/Oct 26th 2006 8:16AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/26/maxstream-announces-xbee-the-40-mile-range-zigbee-bridge/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/26/maxstream-announces-xbee-the-40-mile-range-zigbee-bridge/Oct 26th 2006 8:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/26/maxstream-announces-xbee-the-40-mile-range-zigbee-bridge/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/26/maxstream-announces-xbee-the-40-mile-range-zigbee-bridge/
In the 900 range, you'll find public service/safety, commercial 2 way systems (both simplex and trunked), all sorts of mid-speed data, ham radio, etc.]]>Oct 26th 2006 10:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/26/maxstream-announces-xbee-the-40-mile-range-zigbee-bridge/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/26/maxstream-announces-xbee-the-40-mile-range-zigbee-bridge/]]>Oct 26th 2006 8:34AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/26/maxstream-announces-xbee-the-40-mile-range-zigbee-bridge/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/26/maxstream-announces-xbee-the-40-mile-range-zigbee-bridge/
But at what height?

1 Watt at 900mhz is NOTHING. Nothing. The 900mhz ham network me and a few ham friends tried to build in Toronto a few years back were based on 35 watt commercial radios, and range was a few miles AT BEST.

Somehow the only way I can see this system getting 40 miles @ 1W TX power is if both nodes are on top of very large towers that allow line of sight.

I'm skeptical at best.]]>Oct 26th 2006 10:28AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/26/maxstream-announces-xbee-the-40-mile-range-zigbee-bridge/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/26/maxstream-announces-xbee-the-40-mile-range-zigbee-bridge/http://www.maxstream.net/products/xtend/oem-rf-module.php

That insane range is given by the -110db rx sensitivity, although I believe that the 40mi thing MAY have been measured with a directional antenna, although it was done on he ground.

I should also point out that you only get the full -110db rx when you turn the fr link rate down to 9600baud, if you want the 110k then you only get -100db.


In any case, these wireless modules are great little buggers, I have been using a pair on a rocket born telemetry system for years now and it has never lost link (until it falls below the horsion ) :)]]>Oct 26th 2006 10:36AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/26/maxstream-announces-xbee-the-40-mile-range-zigbee-bridge/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/26/maxstream-announces-xbee-the-40-mile-range-zigbee-bridge/
]]>Oct 26th 2006 2:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/26/maxstream-announces-xbee-the-40-mile-range-zigbee-bridge/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/26/maxstream-announces-xbee-the-40-mile-range-zigbee-bridge/> The Xtend modems are made by maxstream, and you gan get full info on them at http://www.maxstream.net/products/xtend/oem-rf-module.php

I was getting excited about this and then I noticed that the Maxstream people are based in Lindon, UT. This city is the world headquarters of the SCO Group. Many of us in the Linux world have determined that there is something really really wrong with the water supply in that city. The people in Lindon appear to make very large and bold claims that they simply cannot back up with evidence.

Anything Maxstream says should be taken with large grains of salt.]]>Oct 26th 2006 6:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/26/maxstream-announces-xbee-the-40-mile-range-zigbee-bridge/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/26/maxstream-announces-xbee-the-40-mile-range-zigbee-bridge/http://itp.nyu.edu), though we don't really have a need to cover 40 miles...yet.

Also, ZigBee supports mesh networking. So, in theory, you could place this bridge every 40 miles along a road and hop the network signal all the way back to civilization.]]>Oct 26th 2006 8:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/26/maxstream-announces-xbee-the-40-mile-range-zigbee-bridge/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/26/maxstream-announces-xbee-the-40-mile-range-zigbee-bridge/
]]>Oct 26th 2006 9:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/26/maxstream-announces-xbee-the-40-mile-range-zigbee-bridge/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/26/maxstream-announces-xbee-the-40-mile-range-zigbee-bridge/
I know, I did not think they would work that well either. Impressive stuff.

Tracks of these tests can be seen at http://www.gpsflight.com]]>May 12th 2007 12:44PM