Does your mobile have a camera Mikel? If so this works without cellular. Try it.
But I’ve discovered that android doesn’t support qrcodes natively (strange) so it wouldn’t always work.
Anyway, if Gotenna supported cut&paste on iOS phones that would be easier and more reliable than the current method (paper and pencil for newbies who don’t know the Shout workaround).
I use a iP5 and iP6. Not sure about the 6, but my 5 treats it like a picture – and nothing more. Could be some setting I don’t have right? But would think it would only work if you’re in wifi range if no cell service?
I can’t speak for the goTenna engineering team, but in general for mesh networks, the big reason is so that the system works. A couple of hops isn’t easy, but the more hops added, the more difficult various problems with managing the network become. It’s really not about restricting something from happening, but making it possible to happen.
Which brings up a technical point I don’t believe it’s the hardware that restricts the number of hops. Rather, it’s the firmware. The hardware is capable of many things, but the firmware limits some of them for various reasons. We just discussed that about numbers of hops possible. Another is the number of transmissions per minute, which prevents a GTM for being used to flood the mesh and tie it up.
Fundamentally, mesh networks have to serve the common good to survive, since they depend on the viability of the commons to work. Thus, some of the features are there or not there in part to ensure that commons remains intact,
Now for the update problems, What is the phone you are using with the goTenna and what is its operating system? If you have seen or can read the serial numbers of the GoTennas, having those would be helpful, too.
Another quick reception report. We shop at the local grocery about 3 blocks away. With just 3 hops and the bulk of the brick store building in between, we usually had trouble getting through depending on where we parked. Inside, forgeddaboutit. Not enough hops, it seemed.
I went over to pick up a couple of items we missed and tested the connection from several places inside the store. Made good connections inside with all going out and still took just 3 hops. Same number of hops, same everything else as far as can tell, but really improved performance. I even just left the GTM in the pocket of my t-shirt after it became clear I didn’t need to get it out to connect,
That said, my wife has somewhat less success responding to me on the return path. Not quite sure why. Perhaps because my unit was in my pocket? The new firmware seemed to have solved the troublesome Bluetooth connection with her iP8, though.
I’m requesting replacement of 2 MX units. Is it necessary to send back the originals? If so, what address should they be sent to?
3 devices out of four went through FW update successfully .
One is a subject to “DFU mode and LED blinking frequently” behavior. Will try to use recommendation related to iOS. Will notify you As soon as it goes forward …
Filed a ticket: 33422 to support team.
CLI output so far:
[354887-20335, USB, CLI] Device type: goTenna 900
[354887-000, USB, CLI] FW Version : 1.1.8.remotes/origin/mesh-5.0-release-candidate-0-gd438b05 (jenkins@gotenna-buildserver)
[354887-000, USB, CLI] Build Date : Jun 28 2018 12:32:00
[354887-000, USB, CLI] Boot Version: 00.06
[354887-000, USB, CLI] Boot flag: 1c. Firmware CRC: 3d054690
[354887-000, USB, CLI] BLE bootloader version 1, softdevice 0x81
[354887-000, USB, CLI] Features: FEATURE_EXTENDED_BCTS=off, FEATURE_FULL_FREQ_CONFIG=off, FEATURE_GEO_CONFIG=on, FEATURE_MASK_RATE_CONFIG=off, FEATURE_RELAY_MODE=on, FEATURE_RELAY_NODE_LED=on, FEATURE_TX_CHAN_SELECT=off, FEATURE_TX_POWER_CONFIG=off
Hi everyone,
Thanks for continuing to provide us with great feedback! If you’ve run into any odd behavior and you haven’t yet contacted me via DM or via support@gotenna.com, please do so! I’m happy to help!
Did anyone test 5.0 out this weekend? What did you try? What did you see?
First of all, I received the replacement units, and they were already updated, thanks.
I’m seeing some issues with the Android app 5.0.1, on a Pixel 2 XL on Android 8.1.
Also, I have a request, if it would be possible to have different icons for different types of notifications, specifically the “connected” persistent notification, the “disconnected” notification, and the messages notifications.
Thanks again for the support and replacements.
First device is updating now. I have devices, as I’m sure others do too, that don’t use the Play store. Would goTenna please upload to F-Droid or make the APK available for direct download?
Gotenna 5.01 is available on apkpure, but I understand that 5.02 is the latest version.
5.02 is only available for iphone.
Careful with that website, just looked at it and the apks I looked at (GoTenna 5.0.1, Google Duo, Google Voice) don’t match the SHA-1 hash from the Play Store apps. Also, suspiciously, apps that have multiple versions for different platforms/dpis like Google Duo still only show only one apk. Even if the files were legit (which seems very dubious), you could install something like an x86 version on your arm64 phone without realizing it, or the wrong dpi version.
Generally speaking it’s best to stick to the official channels, but if you want to download apks, apkmirror.com is the only known trustworthy site. It’s run by the Android Police people. Unfortunately they don’t have GoTenna, but anyone can upload the apk (to be verified by them it matches the Play Store’s apk).
For reference, the SHA-1 of my apk for GoTenna 5.0.1 on a Pixel 2 XL is
6417715a043a1079041a5a5c7a0d62d446dc4f56
but again, I don’t know if there is only one version of the apk for all phones.
EDIT: I have uploaded it to apkmirror.com, so it should be available shortly. Bear in mind that we still don’t know if there are different versions of the apk for different platforms.
I had a terrible time updating. I had MANY failed attempts. Eventually I pulled out a cheap LG Rebel and factory reset it. Then I installed the Gotenna app and the upgrades worked.
Some things that helped along the way on Android.
After an upgrade I unpaired the Gotenna before moving on to the next device.
When a Gotenna would not pair I went into settings >> Apps>> Gotenna >> Clear data I also turned the gotenna off and then back on. Then I attempted pairing again.
One device with the funky serial number appears to have updated correctly on Gotenna app version 5.0.1.
One upgrade gave me a failed message but when I checked it afterward it had the new firmware.
Upgrades took me about 45 minutes.
The app seems to have three stages. Don’t fret when it resets to 0%. The stages two and three are pretty quick.
An internet connection does not seem to be needed after you download the latest Gotenna app and start the first upgrade. I performed two updates not connected via cell or WiFi.
I don’t know if this helped anything but I set the phone display so it would not go to sleep and I plugged it in. I don’t believe Android uses any of it’s power saving features well plugged in.
What will the hop count be in 5.1 for Plus subscribers? What will it be for non-subscribers?
Thank you.
-Andy
The hop count for all versions of 5.0, including both 5.1 and 5.2, allows up to a maximum of 6. That’s as things currently stand, whether or not you’re a goTenna Plus subscriber.
An upcoming update is scheduled to make a GT Plus subscription a requirement to get the extra hops.
Don’t know if the offer stlll stands when you get the new goTenna, but we got it for only $10 for the first year after the initial 30-day free trial is up. The list price on goTenna Plus is $29.95. With the offline maps, various additional ways to connect including to the POTS to relay SMS text beyond the mesh; and now those incredibly useful extra hops…
GT Plus costs, at most less than a dime a day, Either you find it useful or you don’t and then decide whether to keep the service going and pay accordingly. The argument that it is useful and therefore should be free doesn’t quite add up for me, although several have argued what is essentially that line of reasoning. That’s even more so when it’s less than a dime a day, which is about as close to free as you’re likely to get, but compare that to a cell bill’s daily cost and the results tends to sharply favor goTenna
I see SMS and maps as value added features. Whereas 6 hops comes off more as an artificial limitation on the free version. That said, I understand the company is trying to find ways to profit off their work and I do want them to profit. I’d think the expensive devices would be turning a profit, but I get looking to expand their profit streams. Especially with ongoing subscription which are clutch for a business.
If you have at least one Android device that has the app, you can distribute it from there pretty easily. I have Solid Explorer, and it can copy the apk to /sdcard, then there is an FTP server plugin for Solid Explorer, and you can distribute it from there to any device within the same LAN. You can even use WiFi hotspot on the FTP server phone and connect the secondary devices to that.
Just to be clear in my position. I don’t mind paying for it. My only concern is disaster areas that have no connectivity to the Internet. Being artificially limited to 3 hops could be life threatening, especially when the devices are now capable of double that. Sure, the folks that are set up previously will be fine, but if they are handed out before a major storm hits, not everyone might be able to purchase Plus before they need the devices. Or, in cases like Puerto Rico, areas might not have internet access for more than a year, and therefore any Plus subscriptions would expire.
Maybe as a compromise, either the emergency channel or the beacon always does the max hops capable no matter the Plus status.
Emergency messages will still do 6 hops.
Didn’t know that. Awesome.