Out of curiosity, I started using Meshtastic by purchasing two of Heltec V3s on Aliexpress.
What’s Meshtastic?
Meshtastic is an open-source, long-range mesh networking system that allows you to send and receive messages without relying on cell towers, Wi-Fi, or satellites. It’s essentially a network built on affordable, low-power LoRa (Long Range) radio hardware.
It can be used to send and receive messages but also in IoT application.
The “game” is to be able to communicate with others by relying only on the LoRa-based radio part.
If you are really in trouble: for example if you live, like me, in an area where the mesh is not yet present, you can use MQTT (the server is provided by the Meshtastic itself) to reach the mesh.
Why is it so interesting?
Well, in a nutshell, because you can build your own network having the idea you are also doing something for the community.
The underlying idea is to build something that can work even when your operator is offline.
But everything has a price: to build your reliable network you must reach the highest number of nodes without using any MQTT broker.
This is the true game, you have to choose the right positions for your nodes and choose the right hardware or, better, the right antennas.
Choosing an antenna is not so easy but many communities discuss every day on this topic. So the first step is to buy a low cost hardware to understand how the things go and reach out a local community with people more expert than you and ask for advises.
Solder and patience are surely good allies.
My first goal? Build a solar node that means to build a node to put somewhere, powered by batteries and a solar panel and reachable only by the LoRa network.
My very first node was build using a
Heltec v4 with a Zigsor antenna.
I 3D printed the case.
I also added a battery to use it as a mobile node.
The Heltec board allows you to recharge the battery by keeping the device connected to the mains.
Some links:
- the Heltec board https://a.aliexpress.com/_EubY29
- The antenna https://a.aliexpress.com/_EG0vWPi
- The case https://www.printables.com/model/1326866-h1-enhanced-h1-case-for-heltec-v3heltec-v4-by-muzi
Good luck!
See also
- How to enable bluetooth connections when using a CLI on MacOS
- How to add a GPS module to the T-Deck board
- The Meshtastic all-in-device. Bought a T-Deck board
- Optimizing Meshtastic Node Broadcast Intervals: Fixed vs. Mobile Configurations
- The Unwritten Rules of the Mesh: A Guide to Meshtastic Etiquette