Where to put a repeater — and how to mount one
A repeater is pure infrastructure: its only job is to relay other people’s messages. Where you put it matters far more than how powerful it is. This guide covers what makes a great site, then how to mount a repeater on a structure or in a tree — then plan its coverage before you climb.
What makes a great repeater site
In rough priority: height, a clear view toward the people you want to serve, steady power, and access you can return to. Use the planner’s high-point finder to spot elevated sites, and line-of-sight to confirm a link before you build.
Rooftops & tall buildings
A parapet or roofline clears the immediate clutter and buys miles. The single most available high site in most towns.
Towers & masts
Comms towers, antenna masts, light poles, and grain legs are purpose-built height. If you can get permission, take it.
Ridgelines & hilltops
A ridge with an open clearing can blanket whole valleys. Rural high ground is the most valuable real estate on the mesh.
Water towers & silos
Tall municipal or farm structures put a node far above the canopy. One can anchor coverage for a whole community.
Tall, healthy trees
No structure? A sturdy tree near the top of a hill is a genuinely good repeater host — see the how-to below.
Anywhere with a clear view
What every site needs is line of sight. If you can see far, the radio can talk far. Trees and buildings in the way shorten every hop.
Tree-based repeaters
When there’s no rooftop or tower, a tall, healthy tree on high ground makes an excellent, inconspicuous repeater host. A small solar node strapped near the top can clear the surrounding canopy and run for years with no wiring. It’s the quintessential community-mesh install.
- Free height where no structure exists
- Solar-friendly once above the canopy
- Discreet — most people never notice it
- Removable with zero lasting impact
Pick the right tree
Choose a living, structurally sound conifer or hardwood — straight trunk, no rot or dead crown — near a local high point. Evergreens keep a steadier year-round signal path than trees that drop their leaves.
Mind the sun & the canopy
Get the solar panel and antenna as close to the top as you safely can, with the panel facing roughly south and the antenna vertical and clear of dense branches.
How to mount a tree repeater
A strapped mount fixes the enclosure to the trunk near the top. Best for climbable trees and when you want the node held rigidly in place.
Build it on the ground first
Assemble and test the node fully before you climb: flash the repeater firmware, attach the antenna, confirm it joins the mesh, and seal the enclosure. Never plan to troubleshoot at height.
Attach the antenna first, always
Powering a LoRa radio with no antenna can destroy it. Confirm the antenna is connected and the enclosure is weather-sealed (cable glands down, no gaps) before the node ever transmits.
Climb safely or hire a pro
Use proper tree-climbing gear (saddle, rope, helmet) or an arborist. Never free-climb with tools. If a tree isn’t safely climbable, use the hanging method below instead.
Strap — don't screw — to the trunk
Mount the enclosure high on the trunk with UV-resistant straps or stainless banding over a protective pad. Avoid lag screws: they wound the tree and invite rot. Leave slack for the trunk to grow.
Aim the solar and the antenna
Face the panel roughly south and tilt it to shed rain and catch winter sun. Mount the antenna vertical and, where possible, on a short standoff above the nearest branches for a cleaner path.
Strain-relief and weatherproof every cable
Drip-loop all cables so water runs off, not into, connectors. Secure the solar lead to the trunk so wind can’t saw it against the bark. Re-check that every gland and seam is closed.
Verify from the ground
Back on the ground, confirm the repeater shows up from a companion node in range and that traffic relays through it. Then plan its coverage in the planner to see exactly what it added.
How to hang a tree repeater
No safe way up? Hang a sealed node from a high branch with a throw-line. Quicker and lower-risk, with a little more sway in the wind.
Use a fully sealed, self-contained node
Hanging suits an all-in-one solar enclosure with an internal or top-mounted antenna. Build, seal, and test it on the ground exactly as above — antenna on first, enclosure closed.
Set a throw-line over a high, living branch
With an arborist throw-weight and line, sail it over a stout branch as high as you can reach. Pick a living limb close to the trunk — it sways less and holds more.
Haul it up on a UV-rated line
Tie the node to a UV-resistant rope or coated cable and haul it to height. A small pulley makes raising and future servicing far easier.
Keep the antenna vertical and stable
Hang the unit so the antenna stays upright. A small counterweight or a light tether to a lower branch tames spinning and sway without rigidly trapping it.
Protect the bark and leave room to grow
Pad anywhere the line crosses bark and don’t cinch a loop tight around a growing limb. The goal is a mount you can remove years later with no trace.
Confirm it's on the mesh
Check that the node relays from a companion in range, then model the new coverage in the planner. Adjust the height or move to a taller tree if line-of-sight is still blocked.
Got a site in mind? Model it first.
Drop a repeater in the planner, render its coverage, and check line-of-sight to the people you want to reach — before you ever climb.