With just a little planning, you may be able to get an impressive cluster up and running reliably with very few devices, depending on your needs. Line of Sight is definitely your friend, but with smart meshing involved, there is another important and powerful aspect that partially determines what your cluster is capable of. For a given transmission that is happening in a single hop, every obstacle between the two devices involved in the hop weakens the signal. Some obstacles (such as a hill) completely block an RF transmission. Keep this in mind when positioning stationary devices.
The following video explains how message/packet delivery is done with ChatterBox. Understanding this can help you decide how to arrange your cluster (or whether such planning is even necessary for your needs).
Extending Range with a Single ChatterBox Node
The example shown on the left (click to download) shows how a single node can be added, even if just placed in an upper-floor window, to add range to your cluster.
Extending Range with Multiple Nodes and Better Antennas
The example on the right shows how longer deliveries and better performance can be achieved with additional nodes and the addition of a better, well-placed antenna.
