We’re excited to announce the newest addition to the BuffaLoRa community network: the deployment of a Meshtastic node — short name KMBL — at the Buffalo Amateur Radio Repeater Association (BARRA) Kimball Tower Repeater Site on August 13th, 2025. This site provides an excellent vantage point within the Western New York region with clear views spanning West from Orchard Park in the South across the City of Buffalo to Tonawanda in the North and beyond.
BARRA is a cornerstone of amateur radio in Western New York, and we’re incredibly proud to partner with them in this endeavor. To learn more about their extensive work supporting the region with amateur radio repeater infrastructure and volunteer services, visit barrabuffalo.org.
About the Site
The Kimball Tower repeater site is quite impressive, located on the tallest point of the University at Buffalo South Campus. Additional details of the site to come.
About the Node
The BuffaLoRa node KMBL was constructed using a Station G2 Mini Meshtastic Starter Kit (US915 band) featuring:
- Station G2 at 1 watt
- An ALFA AOA-915-5ACM 5 dBi omni outdoor LoRa antenna
- N to SMA connector
- USB-C to USB-C cable and AC Adapter from an old phone
This node pushes power up to the 1 watt legal limit for the 915 mHz ISM band for unlicensed use.
Special Thanks to Our Partners
This deployment would not have been possible without the dedicated members of BARRA:
- Ted Ertl (WA2HKS) – Trustee of the 444.000 MHz repeater and BARRA member, who coordinated the collaboration and shared expert RF knowledge, plus gave us a guided tour of the facility’s impressive infrastructure.
- Jeremy ‘Jer’ Medinac (N2UGS) – Provided technical guidance and performed maintenance restoring service for the Amateur Radio AllStar Node and 10 meter repeater.
- Douglas A. Alderdice (KA2WFT) – BARRA President
We are deeply grateful for their time, knowledge, and commitment to the amateur radio and broader communications community.
Want to Get Involved?
The partnership between BuffaLoRa and BARRA showcases what’s possible when local organizations come together to build community-focused technology. If you’re a business, nonprofit, school, or community leader interested in hosting a node or supporting mesh expansion, we’d love to hear from you.
Help us grow the network and bring resilient, decentralized communication to every corner of Western New York.
📡 Contact us today at partnerships@snydermesh.com to learn more and get involved.
Let’s connect WNY — one node at a time.
BuffaLoRa 