I was drawn into Meshtastic by the promise of license-free, relatively easy-to-use, off-grid, off-network text communication on affordable hardware. There is very little barrier to entry and the potential upside is immense so I thought it was worth a try. I am going to drag you along with me, an absolute radio simpleton, as I learn so you can decide if it is worth a try for yourself.
Be advised: If you actually know something about radios or Meshtastic, you are going to be very frustrated with my layman’s misunderstanding and oversimplification. You have been warned!
Before we go too much further, we should establish what Meshtatic even is. Well, you can read about it here from its creators on Meshtastic.com. Basically, it is a radio mesh network made up of mostly inexpensive radios that allow the user to send small amounts of data across the mesh either corporately or privately. The mesh network does not require the use of any network or data connection other than the radios themselves. Meshtastic utilizes the license-free 915mhz band in the USA. Additionally, many of the radios used have very low power requirements making them easy to keep running even when electrical power is scarce.
My Goals for Meshtastic
This is just an introduction to my time with Meshtastic given that I am still firmly in the don’t-know-what-I-don’t-know phase of my journey. However, I have set three basic goals for what I would like to try to accomplish:
- Communicate reliably within a few miles of my home.
- Set up a private, local mesh within a few miles of my home.
- Communicate as far as 40-60 miles away in my region.
The Gear I Have Used So Far
If you want to follow along, I can already suggest a specific radio which I will probably do a more thorough review of later. The Lilygo T-Echo is one of the more affordable ready-to-use options that has a more energy-efficient chipset than many others in this price range. I bought mine on Amazon along with an improved antenna (the stock antenna is compact but doesn’t do the radio any favors):
- Lilygo T-Echo on Amazon
- 915mhz antenna on Amazon (I prefer this one because it makes it easy to lay the radio down but keep the antenna upright)
Where I Am and What to Look Forward To
I have already accomplished goal 1 using just the gear listed above. I will have a post about that eventually as it is quite easy and there are some simple tips and dirt-bag hacks that will make a local mesh even more reliable.
My initial testing has been promising so far with contacts being made over tens of miles and detecting nodes as far as 70 miles (over multiple hops). It has been encouraging enough that I am already researching an outdoor solar node to install on my property to further improve my chances at meeting my goals.
There will be reviews of radios, tips and tricks, and practical information shared all along the way so stay tuned.