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The first real hunting trips with Lauma

14 September 2026 Part 4

Flat ground, a poor mobile network and a Norrbottenspets. If it works here it works anywhere, and it works surprisingly well.

Our area is close to a perfect test ground for Lauma: everything about it is far from optimal, and if it can be made to work here it will work anywhere.

The biggest challenge for a mesh network is that the southern part of Pudasjärvi is completely flat. Not a single hill or high spot, so the reach of a coverage node is the worst it can be. On top of that, the mobile networks do not deliver internet once you are even a little way out.

Surprisingly well

I am genuinely surprised at how well everything works already. Especially hybrid mode, the radio in your pocket together with the cloud.

When the dog is within about 500 metres I get practically every single position into the app. When the dog goes further, kilometres away, I can trust that I see where things are going, even if not every position makes it through.

Automatic map storage is gold too. The maps are always there, even when the internet is not.

Laikku

For me the grouse season is by far the most important part of the hunting year, and I hunt with a Norrbottenspets called Laikku. The season has got off to a good start.

What the data said

The first time the collar was on the dog, there was a second identical collar in my pocket. Same firmware, same settings, a position every 30 seconds, 65 minutes.

Nobody had to say which collar was on the dog.

The next day a node went up a tree. Height alone, rucksack to tree, brought about 7 dB more reach, and the phone heard the dog directly almost every time, from as far as 475 metres. No limit to the reach was found.