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Meshtastic

AK4FU

AK4FU

Member
Has any one put up a Meshtastic node, it is a mesh network on the old 915Mgh broad band spectrum that does full encription.
You can go to meshtastic. org to get more info.
I have two nodes up you can see them on meshmap.net.


AK4FU
[email protected]
 
I've been looking at meshtastic for a while, but went in circles trying to select hardware. Just ordered a couple rak pocket minis, but will be surprised if other nodes are in range. Do you reach any near you over the air?
 
I have had some issues with the Rak nodes so now I stick to TBeams and Heltec nodes, I have two node that came in via RF and a ton of MQTT traffic.
The Rak units are not easy to flash the TBeams and Heltec units are much easier to flash I just set up a solar node 30 feet up.
 
I have a Heltec V3 node up in Matthews. I'm currently using the NCMesh config (ncmesh.net). It will be my fixed node once I get another node set up as my mobile. New 2.6 firmware out today if you are adventurous.
 
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I just heard about meshtastic on a net a couple of days ago, not sure how practical this one is, cool stuff but trying to understand it.
 
W4TAB said:
I just heard about meshtastic on a net a couple of days ago, not sure how practical this one is, cool stuff but trying to understand it.
Click to expand...
This explanation seems good:

Learn about Meshtastic and NC Mesh

Learn all about Meshtastic, NC Mesh, why we exist, and similar technologies.
ncmesh.net

including comparison with aprs.

Personally, I prefer not using internet (MQTT?), or GPS, but that makes it more difficult to make maps of nodes or reported data like pressure/temperature, for viewing over the internet. I'm motivated by almost losing comm's with non-ham family who got stuck in west NC during hurricane Helene. They were lucky to have cell service. No house power, no house internet, however. If a everyone, or a fraction, carried one of these meshtastic devices, we should all be able to have independent text messaging without cellular or internet, is the concept. Can anyone explain why cell phones don't already have that capability by default?
 
KC4KLM said:
New 2.6 firmware out today if you are adventurous.
Click to expand...
I'd gone with nRF52 Micro-Controller Units (MCU), because "The nRF52 chip is much more power efficient than the ESP32 chip and easier to update" according to meshtastic's intro. Now this update is not for nRF52. So it goes.

AK4FU said:
New mashtastic phone app,
Click to expand...

I updated. It seems to have fixed an issue I had: app using internet when settings said not to.

Is anyone using other radios for 33cm band, licensed? What applications? Thanks for uncovering this rabbit hole! 😎
 
KZ4JC said:
I'd gone with nRF52 Micro-Controller Units (MCU), because "The nRF52 chip is much more power efficient than the ESP32 chip and easier to update" according to meshtastic's intro. Now this update is not for nRF52. So it goes.
Click to expand...
I use a RAK 4631 board for lower-power mobile/battery node. The ESP32 board is USB-powered so I don't care about power efficiency. I don't think either one is hard to update at all.
 
I just setup a few Heltec V3 boards, and will be getting various family members the SenseCap T1000-E. Will probably be working on convincing friends/family members to get in as well to help increase local coverage.
 
There was a non-ham who lives in the uptown charlotte area who contacted the club.
He offered to host and possibly pay for a repeater or whatever we wanted to put on his property.
Would you guys like to get a meshtastic node over there?
If so reach out to Chris at [email protected]
 
I'm building a new house that's virtually 'on top' of Villa Heights (base elevation 230m), and it's as tall as I can legally make it (add another 12m, for about 242m). I'm an EE who works in/near comms, but doesn't have any licenses/certs - and I'm wondering if my roof-space has any value to the local CLT community. I'm thinking of doing something like putting an EFHW up there, and hosting a 30m-40m WinLink relay, and/or even putting a GMRS relay up there, etc.

While I have roof space, and lots of related knowledge, I'm not an expert at this stuff, so I'd love to sit down for coffee with 1-2 people that know more, and might be able to help me figure out what value-add I can offer to the community (if any), and how to get it done and operational. I'd be happy to let community members run/maintain the stations, and I'd just buy the equipment and host the height.

Is that something the community would find valuable? Or do we have plenty of space and height for things, and there's not really a need or value add for someone to say "Let's put stuff on my roof, and I'll pay for it"?

- Greg Link
 
AK4FU said:
Has any one put up a Meshtastic node, it is a mesh network on the old 915Mgh broad band spectrum that does full encription.
You can go to meshtastic. org to get more info.
I have two nodes up you can see them on meshmap.net.


AK4FU
[email protected]
Click to expand...
Yes! I've put two nodes up -- one of which is solar powered at about 30', and the other is portable -- and they've been operating 24x7 for about 8 months now. Where I'm located, I rarely have continual connectivity to other nodes due to the tree canopy -- it just sucks up the 900 MHz in a big way -- but I'll sporadically hear other nodes as propagation shifts. There is now a node on Mt. Mitchell that I can hear via LORA every so often; altitude is everything! Most recently after upgrading the FW in both nodes, I shifted my configuration to align with the recommendations on the NCMesh.Net website (excellent walkthrough on how to get going with Meshtastic), and I reluctantly turned on MQTT for internet backhaul to join that mesh. That's proven to be a good thing however, as I've discovered a bunch of other radio amateurs throughout NC that are experimenting with this technology.

73,
Rush, W4QA
 
I'm now considering moving to Meshcore, or dropping Lora, and moving to NCpacket. Choices, choices.

North Carolina Packet

NCPACKET - fun, educational, real-time-chat over ham radio, off the grid text messaging, old school packet - new purpose
ncpacket.net ncpacket.net
 
I just got a node or two. ordered more...4 of them, just wondering how well the meshtastic actually works? I can on rare occasion briefly pick up 5 to 11 other nodes but nothing solid as a connection. I pick up nothing on Meshcore.
 
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There have been some demos at conferences with lots of nodes in a small area. The best use seems to be for those rare situations where you're hiking in a group in remote wilderness (or with failed internet), spread out a little along a trail or at a camp. My most interesting receptions were from airplanes.
 
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