Help Liberty Hill stay connected when the towers go down.

01What is Liberty Hill Mesh?

• A free, non-commercial text network built on small, low-power LoRa radios and open source MeshCore software.
• Nobody owns it. Every node is hosted by a neighbor, a business, a church, or a ranch. Together, those nodes are the network. No company, no account, no subscription.
• It keeps working when cell service does not: after a storm, ice, a flood, or a grid outage. On an ordinary day, it is a way to text friends and family across town without a phone plan.
• It is one part of a much larger mesh. Volunteers from Killeen to San Antonio, including Austin Mesh, run nodes on the same network, and a message can already travel that whole distance with no cell service. Every community that adds nodes improves coverage for everyone.

02Why does Liberty Hill need it?

• Liberty Hill is spread out. Ranch land, acreage lots, and the San Gabriel river bottoms have thin or no cell coverage on a good day. When the towers go down, everyone loses it.
• Every hosted node fills a gap and gives messages another path.
• We are in the process of partnering with the City of Liberty Hill to add coverage across the city limits and surrounding area, at no cost to taxpayers.

03What does hosting mean for me?

• It costs you nothing, asks nothing of you, and quietly does good for your neighbors every day.
• You join a growing list of neighbors, ranches, churches, and local businesses making the area more resilient.
• Own a business? We will work with you to name the node something that benefits your business, so every message it relays carries your name.

04What gets installed, and how is it powered?

• A small weatherproof box with a microcontroller radio and a battery, a lightweight antenna, and a small solar panel.
• Under 2 pounds. About the size of your Wi-Fi router, with a longer antenna.
• Solar powered and self-sufficient. Nothing plugs into your house, barn, or well house. No electric bill impact.

05How is it mounted?

• To a mast, pole, or existing structure. No cabling runs into the building.
• Magnets, u-bolts, or hose clamps. No drilling or screwing required.

06What maintenance is required?

• Very low. Nodes run on their own for long periods.
• Once or twice a year we may visit for a firmware update or hardware check.
• Access terms can be put in writing when helpful. We are flexible, plan weeks to months out, and always coordinate before coming out, especially on gated or working ranch property.

07What range will the node cover?

• It depends on elevation. Anywhere from 2 to 10 miles or more.
• Liberty Hill sits on the edge of the Hill Country. Ridgetop and hilltop sites see a long way. Valley sites still matter, because they connect neighborhoods the hilltops cannot reach directly.
• It uses the same frequencies as your garage door opener and baby monitor: the Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band, 902–928 MHz.

08Will it interfere with my existing systems?

• All radios are FCC-compliant and tested for interference.
• Extremely unlikely. The network is ultra low power and uses different frequencies from Wi-Fi, cell, satellite TV, and broadcast TV.
• Some utility water meters use the same band, but are offset by more than 10 MHz.
• Spec sheets are available for engineering review.

09Who is liable if something goes wrong?

• The property owner carries premises liability, as with anything on your land.
• The equipment is small, low voltage, solar powered, and well secured. The likelihood of an incident is not material.
• The node itself is our equipment and our risk. If it fails or goes missing, we replace it at our own expense.

10Permits, HOA, zoning, regulations?

• No permit is needed for small antennas and non-commercial installations, in the City of Liberty Hill or unincorporated Williamson County.
• HOA or building rules may restrict roof modifications. Many Liberty Hill neighborhoods have an HOA, so check your covenants. Texas law limits how far an HOA can go on solar panels, but antenna rules vary.
• Get written permission if you are a tenant, lease the land, or share the property.

11Will it attract lightning?

No.

12How long does it stay, and who owns it?

• Two ways to host. We can own and manage the node, or we can donate it to you to run yourself. Either way it stays part of the mesh.
• We will work out a clear timeframe or agreement together, as needed.
• No long-term obligation. You may ask for removal, or remove it yourself, at any time.