Meshtastic - presented on February 4, 2025
Firmware Update - If you are having trouble with your node losing its settings, the newest release, 2.5.20.4c97351 is supposed to fix it. This version is now in Beta. I would recommend updating to this version when you can. I will be updating my nodes soon. You can download this version here or use the Meshtastic Flasher page.
Meshtastic is an open source, off-grid, decentralized, mesh network built to run on affordable, low-power devices. Each device, or node as they are called, acts as a repeater and rebroadcasts all the packets it hears. This forms a "self-healing" mesh where each device has the potential to increase the size and coverage of the mesh.
Although most meshtastic devices are controlled through the user's phone, through an app, neither the phone's cellular network, nor the internet are required to make the mesh functional. Once the message is composed on the phone, it is sent to the node via Bluetooth. The node then sends the message across the mesh. Once the message is received by a node on the other end, it can be displayed on the node's display or be sent, by Bluetooth, to the end user's phone to display. Messages can be sent to a single user, a specific grouup, or to everyone on the network. Messages can be encrypted.
You can get started in meshtastic for under $35.
To get started with Meshtastic, I recommend purchasing one, or more, of the following devices. These are devices I currently use and would purchase again. There are many other options out there and many good reasons to use something other than the ones I list. The T-Echo is the only one on my list that comes ready to use with case and battery. With the others, be prepared to add the cost of a case and/or a battery.
Lilygo T-Echo - My favorite for a portable node. Ready to go out of the box. Long battery life. Includes GPS but will not do Wi-Fi.
RAKwireless Wisblock Starter kit - My favorite for a solar node. Low power draw - good for solar powered nodes. Does not support Wi-Fi.
Heltec WiFi LoRa 32(V3) with case - Nice size except that the battery won't fit inside the case. Does support WiFi. I use one in my house, with no battery, because I can leave it plugged into USB power and connect to it from my phone via WiFi. With WiFi, you are not limited by the range of Bluetooth. You can go as far as your home WiFi network reaches. Many good looking cases available online.
Lilygo T-beam v1.2 - Much more power hungry but will do Wi-Fi. I have one of these running on my home network as well. Many good looking cases available online.
I recommend Rokland.com as a source for much of your stuff. They have reasonable prices and excellent tech support. When comparing prices between Rokland and other vendors, remember that Rokland has free shipping.
With Meshtastic operating at less than a quarter of a watt at 906 MHz, height is might. Be prepared to get your node up as high as possible. Many people, myself included, have one node outside, as high as possible, on a pole, or hanging in a tree, and a second node inside the house, that is close enough to connect to your phone via Bluetooth or WiFi.
Many of the nodes have displays but I find them too small to be usable. The phone connects to the node via Bluetooth. I do everything on my phone. The only commercially available device with usable screen and keyboard is the Lilygo T-Deck Plus. Rokland makes an upgraded version with an external antenna they call the T-Deck Complete. I have not used, or even seen, either of these devices.
Once you receive your device, before you use it, check out the Recommended Configuration Settings page to be sure everything is configured appropriately.
99% of the nodes should be set up as a Client or Client_Mute. The node you use around the house will be Client_Mute. If you have a node in a high location, that you use to relay traffic from your home node out to the mesh, it should be set as Client. If you are unsure what your node should be, you might check out this video. The map referenced in the video can be found here. If you click on different nodes on the map, it will explain the node's settings and why it was choosen.
Web Resources
A couple of the more active users in our area, Vid and Wehooper (so called because of the names they use on their nodes), have put together a number of resources that you may find useful:
There are three maps available on the web, that will show you nodes in the area:
Parts
One of the fun aspects of playing Meshtastic is creating your own node to fit your particular use case. In other words, make the node fit where you want to use it. Here is a list of extra stuff I, or someone I know, have used at one time or another.
Solar Panels with Batteries - It is possible to buy an enclosure, a solar panel, a battery, and a solar charge controller as a unit cheaper than you can buy the pieces.
Solar Light - There is only one battery in this but that is plenty for a RAK Wisblock. I have many of these running Wisblock nodes with no problem, in decent sunlight. I am moving away from this enclosure because I find it hard to mount a durable antenna on the enclosure.
Solar Panel for Outdoor Security Panel - This is a monster power source for a Wisblock. It has four batteries and lots of solar panel. I have seen one of these with a radio mounted inside and an antenna mounted on the side, but that is pretty tight. This has a 5 volt USB output and can plug directly into the USB port of a Wisblock. Probably better used as a power source attached to a separate enclosure for the radio and antenna.
Project Boxes and Mounts - Enclosures to use as a starting point for your project.
RAK Wireless Unify Enclosure - The cadillac of project boxes or maybe the iPhone of boxes. It just looks good. But you pay for it. Comes with its own solar panel. The solar panel is great during the summer but I found it was not enough during the winter they way I was using them. I have my panels facing up and when the angle of the sun went down, the batteries would die overnight. I think, if the boxes were mounted so the solar panel was on its side, facing south, they would probably work, but I had already mounted my antenna on the face with the solar panel. I mounted a smaller solar panel on the side and ran it in parallel with the original panel. Now they work. There is a cool board that goes inside the enclosure that has an integrated lora and Bluetooth antenna but I just leave it out so I have more room inside and can use better antennas. With its low profile, I would just mount this on top of something with 3M moulding tape.
RAK Wireless Unify Enclosure 4 x 3 x 1.5 inches - This is the big brother to the box above. Larger solar panel might keep it charged during the winter with it mounted solar panel face up. But, there is no place to mount an antenna on that face so I have never used this one. If you were willing to turn it on the side, you have lots of options. It costs a little more than gluing a solar panel onto a project box so I haven't tried it but it would make for an easy install. These Unify boxes have tons of options, for an added cost, of how to mount them to anything you can imagine.
Black ABS Plastic Box 6.3 x 6.3 x 3.54 - Waterproof. Other sizes available.
Black ABS Box 7.87 x 4.72 x 2.2 - Another one I have used. Waterproof. Other sizes available.
Junction Box ABS 7.87 x 4.72 x 2.95 - This one has ears for mounting. Waterproof. Other sizes available.
Zulkit Black ABS Plastic 5.91 x 3.94 x 1.73 with Ears - Just the right size to mount a nice solar panel on the front and a short N connector such as the ALFA AOA-915-5ACM on one end which will become the top. You can then easily zip tie it to something, screw it to a flat surface, or use one of the mounts listed below. Other sizes of boxes are available.
Pole Mount Bracket to Wall Mount - Used to mount your project box onto a pole. The angle can be adjusted to point your solar panel more at the sun.
Vertical Pole Mount - Mount your project box onto a vertical pole.
Solar Panels, Charge Controllers, and Battery Protection - Used to keep your batteries charged, so you don't have to keep visiting your node to recharge batteries.
6 Volt Solar Cells 110mm x 92mm - Fit nicely on the 6 inch by 4 inch project box. I have used a number of these.
SUNYIMA 5PC 6V 1W Mini Solar Cells 4.33 x 3.15 Inch ETFE Material - Very seldom in stock.
10pcs x 5VDC Solar Panel Power bank - Size 70 x 100 is what I purchased. You can pick the size to fit your project box.
5 Watt Solar Panel for Security Camera - Nice solar panel but the mount is flimsy. Large - 6"L x 1"W x 5"H. I have one in use but I think I will make my own mount if I use this again.
6 Watt Solar Panel - Nice panel. I have one of these and it looks great but it is large, 10.66"L x 6.88"W x 0.1"H, and I havn't figured out a way to mount it and make it look good on one of my projects.
BMS Battery Protection Board - Used to keep the battery from overcharging or discharging too much.
Battery Protection Board - Plug and play version but you pay for the convenience.
MPPT Solar Charge Controller - This is the one I have been using. As of this writing, they are unavailable. I might be using one of the ones below the next time.
MPPT Solar Charge Controller - I have not used this particular one but it has been recommended to me.
MPPT Solar Charge Controller - I did purchase this but have not tested it yet. I believe it is the same as the one above but cheaper.
MPPT Solar Charge Controller - I have not used this particular one but it has been recommended to me.
Batteries
3.7V 4400mAh ICR18650 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery Pack with PH2.0 2P Plug - You get two packs for this price. Each pack has two 18650 batteries with a battery protection module. The plug is wired correctly.
3.7v Lithium Polymer Flat Battery 2000mAh - If you need a flat battery, this one works. Has the correct connector for Wisblock and has its own battery protection (BMS).
JST-PH 2.0mm 2 Pin Connectors, Male and Female Ends Reversed Polarity, 15 pairs 22AWG wire - This is the size you need to plug directly into the battery port on the Wisblock. Unfortunatly, the polarity is reversed on these plugs. You will need to either move the wires in the connector (recommended) or wire black to positive and red to negative (not recommended).
JST-PH 2.0mm 2 Pin Connectors, Male and Female Ends Reversed Polarity, 20 pairs 26AWG wire - This is the size you need to plug directly into the battery port on the Wisblock. Unfortunatly, the polarity is reversed on these plugs. You will need to either move the wires in the connector (recommended) or wire black to positive and red to negative (not recommended).
JST 2.0mm 2 Pin Connector with Correct Polarity - These are nice if you just want the end that plugs into the battery port of the Wisblock since the polarity is correct. However, if you need the other end, they use a little adapter that works but seems a little clunky depending on what you are doing.
JST 1.25mm 2 Pin Connector with Correct Polarity - These are used to plug into the solar input port on the Wisblock. The polarity is correct.
Antennas, Antenna Mounts, and Connectors - A good antenna can make a huge difference. The puny antennas supplied with most nodes are marginal performers at best. For most of these, you will need to purchase the correct mount/pigtail to connect the antenna to your device. Pay very close attention to the style of the ends on any connectors and/or antennas, to be sure you get the correct ones. Also think about how the antenna will physically attach to the node or a support pole.
ALFA AOA-915-5ACM 5 dBi Omni Outdoor - Short and fat. About 7 inches tall with an N Male connector. Does this really have the same gain as the antenna below that is 4 times longer? I wish I could tell you.
5.8 dBi Outdoor - 31 inches tall. N-Male connector.
6 dBi Outdoor - 22 inches tall. N-Female connector.
8 dBi Outdoor - 25 inches long. N-Female connector.
TX-868 TX915-BLG-26 LoRa Helium Miner Outdoor 915MHz - N male connector. Claims 3dBi gain. About 10 inches long.
915MHz Antenna Rubber Rod IPEX-1 High Gain 3dBi - Looks like a nice surface mount antenna for a project box with a horizontal surface. Does not require an extra mount to be purchased. I have one but have not tested it yet. Plugs directly into a Wisblock node. The antenna is about 6 inches long.
Tactical Gooseneck Antenna 915MHz - I have not tried this one because I don't like the way it looks, however, I think it might appeal to some people. It was recommended by someone who usually makes good recommendations, so I am including it.
Soft Antenna - Like the one above, it was recommended to me but I have not tried one.
Meshtastic Folding Antenna - Like the one above, it was recommended to me but I have not tried one. Make sure you consider shipping costs when comparing to the two below.
ALFA Network 2 dBi SMA Male - Looks like the one above but is sold by Rokland. I have not used one. SMA connector.
RAK Wireless 2.3 dBI Blade Antenna - Similar to the ones above. I have used many of these and they work well. They are also more expensive than the ones above. RP-SMA connector. Takes a different connector from the two above.
IPX to N Male Cable Pigtail with RG178 cable. - Pick the length you need.
IPX to N Female 12" /30CM RG178 Coaxial Pigtail Cable - This price includes 2 cables. 12 inches is just enough length to go from the radio inside a project box and connect to an antenna that is mounted independently of the box but still very close to the box. I use this for mounting antennas that I think would stress a plastic project box too much so I mount the antenna and the box seperately to something such as a metal pole. There is a lot of signal loss in coax at this frequency and since the power is so low we want to keep the coax as short as possible.
IPX to N Female 8" RG178 Pigtail Cable - Price for 2 cables. 8 inches is plenty if you are mounting this connector onto a project box with the antenna on the box.
SMA Male to N Female with RG316 Pigtail Cable -
IPX to SMA Male with 1.13mm Cable Pigtail - You will need this if you use one of the filters below.
Miscellaneous -
Cavity Filter - If you think you are getting interference from a nearby transmitter, this might cut it out.
Bandpass Filter - Poor man's version of the cavity filter above. Doesn't work nearly as well but probably better than nothing. Be sure to get the 915 MHz version.
Mounting Plate - Used to keep things secure inside your project box. Basically a perforated sheet of plastic almost like a mini peg board. I use small zip ties to attach things to the board. I cut these to fit inside the box. Usually not needed if you use the mounting tape below.
Mounting Plate - A different size option of the mounting plate above.
Mounting Plate ABS Plastic Sheet- This is just a sheet of black plastic. The options above seemed a little expensive so I thought I would try this. I will need to drill my own holes but that is not a big deal. I have purchased this but have not tested it yet. This stuff is also good for mounting as a faceplate when mounting your ham radios into "go boxes".
Self-Fusing Silicone Tape - Great for waterproofing antenna connections and many other uses. The tape on this link is not as thick as what you mike get at the hardware store but I find I like it better for this radio kind of stuff. I would use the better stuff to try and repair a broken pipe.
Double Sided Tape - I use this more often than the mounting plates above, to keep things in place inside the project box. I used to use 3M brand moulding tape (used to stick moulding to the side of cars) but I like this better and it is cheaper.
E6000 Adhesive - Used for attaching solar panel to project box. Can also be used to seal holes in project box. Similar to Shoe Goo below but is "self leveling" which means that it flows a little when you apply it. This is what I have been using on my projects. Stays flexible when it dries. Allow 24 hours to dry.
Shoe Goo Adhesive - I haven't used this on a project yet but I use it all the time on my shoes. Great stuff. Similar to E6000 but doesn't flow (move) once you apply it. Comes in clear and black. Stays flexible when it dries. Allow 24 hours to dry.
Clear Heat Shrink Tubing - I have fallen in love with the clear heat shrink tubing. You can get it in just about any size. I still use the black heat shrink, if I am just covering a joint on some wires, but I find that, often, I want to be able to see, or let someone else see, what is being protected. I often cover my solar controllers and even some of my Wisblocks with clear heat shrink so I don't have to worry about them shorting with any of the other components in the project box.
Low Profile Solar Meshtastic Car Node - This just looked so cool I had to incude it. It is a 3D printable part to create a sleek magnetic car mount node. I have not built one myself.
This page created by Richard, KR4OS