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Toulon Peak: A Lovelock Summit Node After Dark

· 6 min read
Ben Allfree
Ben Allfree
MeshEnvy Founder

Toulon Peak sits in a beautiful range just west of Lovelock and provides coverage for the greater region around there. I set out yesterday morning to install a node at Dave's tower site on the summit. The universe had other plans. I discovered a leak in my rear differential and did not want to make things worse miles from civilization.

Ben with a MeshCore node on Toulon Peak at dusk, microwave tower and sunset behind him

The differential delay​

If you are like me and had no idea what a differential is until yesterday, it is the large bulb-shaped housing in the center of each axle on a Jeep. There is a small fill plug you can remove. If everything is going well, the gear oil level is visible right inside the opening. If it is low, you should at least add more in the meantime until you can get it properly fixed. Metal on metal gears mashing together under heat is not a good combination, especially when the nearest town is a long way down the hill.

I delayed the mission long enough to get the differential inspected, pick up replacement gear oil in case I needed it, and verify the current fluid level. I am still tracking down a few rogue knocking sounds and other nuisances that only show up on the trail, but I am slowly getting the Jeep into a condition I trust for summit work.

Storm tracks and the road in​

A storm had passed through earlier the same day, and there was evidence of flash flooding in several spots along the way to Lovelock. Once you are off the pavement the drive gets quite scenic. Rolling desert hills, long sight lines across the basin, and ridgelines that make you understand why a backbone node here matters.

Sunset over the desert hills and dirt road below Toulon Peak

Because of the differential delay I did not leave Reno until 6:30 PM. Sunset was around 8:30 PM and the clock was ticking the whole way.

High Sierra Communications tower compound on Toulon Peak at dusk

Dave's tower site​

I got to the summit, found Dave's tower site, and went to work. High Sierra Communications maintains relay infrastructure across northern Nevada, and Toulon Peak is one of the compounds Dave has opened to MeshEnvy. The site is loaded with microwave dishes and tall fiberglass poles that probably carry dipoles. I am not sure of the exact nomenclature on Dave's side of the fence, but they are not whip antennas. It is exactly the kind of height that can see across a whole basin if our node can hold a link.

Microwave towers on Toulon Peak silhouetted against the last light on the horizon

Lattice tower and Jeep on Toulon Peak with sunset over the valley

It got dark while I was on the summit. I finished installing just in time to lose critical visibility and depth perception. Across the valley I saw flashes of lightning and took that as a good omen that my work was done for the day and it was time to head back down the hill.

MeshCore node on a pole at Toulon Peak with the mc logo visible at twilight

Jeep Rubicon with light bar at the High Sierra compound on Toulon Peak after dark

On a different day, when I was not expected back home, I would have absolutely slept under the stars at Toulon Peak. It was a truly beautiful experience even with the rush and the failing light.

Wide view of the Toulon Peak ridge, Jeep, and tower site under storm clouds at dusk

Orphaned for now​

The Toulon Peak node is on the air, but it is currently orphaned. I was not able to reach Desert Peak from Toulon even though on paper it seems like it should work. The propagation map shows Desert Peak's coverage reaching Toulon Peak with room to spare. That is exactly why I expected the link to come up on the first install.

Propagation map showing Desert Peak coverage reaching Toulon Peak across the basin

The path analysis tells the same story. It is only about 25 miles with a clean line of sight across the basin. That is a pretty simple hop based on prior experiments. I know whip antennas can communicate that far. I expected even better performance out of the fiberglass antenna on the Desert Peak node, but so far I am not able to verify that.

Line-of-sight path analysis from Desert Peak to Toulon Peak, about 25 miles with clear Fresnel clearance at 910 MHz

Desert Peak is running an experimental fiberglass antenna and I do not have much experience with that design yet. That hop east across the basin is exactly the kind of link we need as we extend coverage further. We will keep testing angles, mounts, and antenna choices until the map catches up to the geography.

As we push into longer paths and more demanding topology, I am also beginning to notice limitations in the MeshCore protocol. That motivates me to keep researching EnvyOS, my prototype microkernel-based virtual machine mesh operating system with superior routing algorithms and other mechanics a mesh OS needs, including deployment over the mesh itself. More on that as it develops.

Lovelock​

There is something special about Lovelock. Something charming. Kids can still go out for midnight McDonald's runs on golf carts, and I really like that small-town feel. It has a rural, safe, country character. I do not know much about Lovelock beyond what I saw driving through, but that was my impression. They do not have big-city rules that nobody needs in a town that size.

Thanks​

High Sierra Communications logoBLM Carson Field Office logo

Thanks again to Dave Metts and High Sierra Communications, and to the Bureau of Land Management, for continuing to support this project. These critical partnerships are instrumental in getting the mesh deployed across Nevada summits. Toulon Peak is another step west from Reno. Even orphaned for now, it is a foothold in Lovelock country and a site worth coming back to when the light lasts longer.