A community to discuss Meshtastic (https://meshtastic.org/docs/introduction)
Side note: how do y'all carry your antennaed nodes while out and about? Like to the gym or errands
For situations like this, I like to use devices with internal built-in antennas such as the Heltec MeshPocket, Seeed T1000-E, or RAK WisMesh Tag.
But all those devices are best used with a local repeater.
What am I even seeing here... Is it a wireless leash for a dog or something? Apparently I have heard nothing about this branch of tech, because I recognize none of the products you just mentioned. Man I feel old.
Its a low powered long range radio that runs meshtastic firmware!
It allows people to share text-based communications without needing the internet or cell towers, think of it like walkie-talkies that can talk to multiple people at once and automatically relay messages from one radio to another, creating a mesh network.
You're not too out of the loop, if you're on Lemmy!
wait, so this is basically a text machine/pager that allows other users to band together and uses each device as another relay? cuz that's fuckin rad and the nerdiest thing i've ever heard at the same time
Yessir, and it's funny that you say pager because there's a device that does just that!
This is exactly the thing i've been looking for!
Welcome to the rabbit hole. Hopefully you don't spend as much money as I did initially lol 🤣
Don't listen to this guy. Spend as much money as you damn well please. And go down the rabbit hole so deep you think you'll never find your way back out. Lol
How did you find us here? It's hard to explain succinctly but think of it like a 2-way pager. Only instead of proprietary radio towers, it's just personal LoRa devices creating a mesh communication network. You can put one on your dog and it will collect it's location via satellite and broadcast it's coordinates to other nodes on the network.
Thanks for the rec! Yeah I have a sensecap solar on my roof in client base, was very impressed with the range I got on my walk today.
I have a rokland 5.8DBI fiberglass coming in the mail tomorrow I think, so I can hopefully get away with an internal
Oh nice, somebody in my local area just ordered the rak Wismesh repeater and is going to put it up in a week or so, so that will be even more coverage in my area.
You should see what they've built out in the bay. Routers on all of the surrounding mountains. Its beautiful. I sent a message that went out to yuba city all the way down to San Luis Obispo last night.
Thats about 271 miles (437 kilometers) as the crow flies
Yeah, this one that was just ordered by some person is going to probably be a client base or client because we already have a router that serves the area decently well.
If he sets it to client base tell him to be careful with his favorites! Can mess up routing if he favorites a router
Out of curiosity, how would it mess up routing if he favorites a router? Because if I'm understanding the way client base works and the way the new routing protocol works, if he favorites a router, then his node would just re-broadcast that same packet without decrementing the hop. Unless I'm missing something.
It's designed to help weak/mobile/indoor nodes in poor radio locations, not routers. When you favorite routers or other strong nodes, your CLIENT_BASE aggressively rebroadcasts their traffic (acting as ROUTER), which can actually suppress better routing paths and add unnecessary congestion. The feature works best when you favorite only your personal handheld/EDC devices that need the boost from your strong base station. Favoriting already-strong infrastructure nodes defeats the purpose and can negatively impact overall mesh connectivity.
This is entirely dependent on your mesh topology of course. In our larger mesh with a lot of routers in advantageous locations, a client base favoriting a router would do more harm than good
Doh. Now that you pointed out, that makes total sense. And I'm not sure why it didn't occur to me earlier. But thanks.
Another more informed guy in our group just posted this, seems like I may have been wrong https://meshtastic.org/blog/zero-cost-hops-favorite-routers/
I have mostly resorted to using the tiny 4.5cm "glue stick" antennas. I carry my radio everywhere and any longer antenna ends up getting in the way enough to be a problem. The stub antennas supplied by Heltec (and almost everyone else) do surprisingly well for their size. But a whip like the one in your picture will more than double your coverage area. It's always a tradeoff.
Part of my reasoning is that I'm usually working through a repeater. I have one placed at a high point in my neighborhood. I have another that rides on top of my car. If my mobile is within reach of either, I'm reaching out a lot farther than the small antenna could manage by itself.
Shoot I just ordered a few t114s from heltec to make some solar nodes. I should have added some stubbies to that order.
I have a jank setup with USC c + heltek testing out the range. It was fun.
how do y'all carry your antennaed nodes while out and about? Like to the gym or errands
I don't, I leave it in the car. Not like I'm going to get any important messages there.
I really like the idea and I want to get into meshtastic, so that I can communicate in case of an emergency.
Two questions:
Its my understanding (I may be wrong here) that the antenna wouldn't be able to be exposed during the initial EMP anyways, so you'd need to keep a stash of nodes in a Faraday cage to deploy after an EMP
Most of these devicesbwould definitely gsr damaged or disabled by an emp. The voltage is very small on most of these devices.
Yeah, that's where the Faraday cage would come in to play
Thanks for answering
I'm planning on leaving a few nodes in advantageous locations near families work and home to ensure we can coordinate if cell goes down, and will get around to stashing a few away in a cage just in case