What is Meshtastic? - Full Guide on How To Get Started
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Meshtastic – an open-source mesh networking platform redefining communication. From decentralized, long-range capabilities to versatile applications in emergency response, outdoor adventures. Discover the diverse hardware options, step-by-step setup guide, and the remarkable range of 5 KM - 10 KM.

This seems like a great technology to build resiliency and redundancy in a community, especially for places where cell service is spotty, or in the odd event where normal lines of communication are blocked.

The LoRa boards can be easily powered with a small solar panel for continuous use, and if put in a high enough place with a good antenna, they can have a surprisingly long range!

In addition to being genuinely useful, they also seem like they’d be a lot of fun to experiment and play around with, printing cool 3D cases for them, or designing a better antenna or repeater setup.

If and of you already have experience with LoRa, I’d be interested to hear your thoughts! :D

  • McFarius@lemmy.world
    10·
    8 months ago

    I have a question about how easy the signal is to block. I live in a somewhat mountains, densely forested area. Do devices need to have direct line or sight to communicate? Wanted to set this up as a potential back up communication source for grid outages and keep a device in each car.

    • perestroika@slrpnk.net
      11·
      8 months ago

      I played the idea a few years back, at some anarchist-leaning not-just-music festival. We tried setting up a link over a 70 m hill, both stations using 433 MHz (500 mW transmit power, quarter wave antennas) narrowband (no frequency hopping) LoRa boards from Chengdu EByte. Stick antennas, not directional. Both stations were right below the hillside, so the hill formed a perfect obstacle between them.

      Communicating over the hill in a single hop proved impossible. With a repeater at the hilltop, it was possible to make contact with the repeater from street level (no line of sight, trees obstructing), but the repeater (Meshtastic didn’t exist back then, it was entirely homebrew) had software bugs, so - no link to the other hillside. :)

      With better software and better planning, the experiment would have succeeded. :) And if we’d have tried building a link over a valley, it would have been considerably easier.

      With ordinary WiFi and directional antennas (panel or ladder antennas), I’ve been able to establish links over 1 km. If one used a LoRa card, and had a directional antenna for the frequency involved, in clear line of sight, I believe 10 km would be attainable without being a radio specialist.

    • jaredEnglish
      10·
      8 months ago

      You’d really have to test it, it’s a lower frequency (915mhz in US) so it should go much further than WiFi. Many people are putting them on roofs and in trees to get better range and then there’s a whole world of antennas.