Meshtastic

I’m going mad, tending to use bluetooth to configure Meshtastic nodes using the CLI and connecting to the well-known via BLE. Every time the result was the same: program terminated by the operating system and error message saying that the command could not be used because it was not considered safe: the classic MacOs security screen, in short.

The solution is simpler than what you might think: it’s enough to authorize the program you use as a terminal to access Bluetooth. I use Warp so I just had to add it to the list of software in the system settings.

I recently purchased a LilyGo T-Deck board to use as a Meshtastic mobile node. Intrigued by some videos I found, I decided to purchase a GPS module and install it. It wasn’t difficult, all you need is a little bit of skill, a soldering iron and, of course, a compatible GPS module.

The GPS module

Let’s start from the GPS module. I was looking for a cheap module, I consider the GPS option a nice to have feature so I deicided to invest a low budget. I choose the FlyFishRC M10 Mini and bought it on Aliexpress: FlyFishRC M10 Mini. There are many others but this one was easier to find.

I bought a T-Deck board because I wanted a portable device that was able to connect to the Mesh without the phone.

I evaluated several cards, I wanted something relatively cheap but also something that I could “build” by myself.

There are many similar devices, from the MeshPocket the power bank with Meshtastic inside created and sell by Heltec, to the LiLyGo T-Lora pager. But they were all ready-made and closed products. The T-Deck, on the other hand, was the most customizable, and I was also intrigued by the MUI, the advanced interface developed by the Meshtastic team. So it seemed to me the solution that fully responded to my requests. The choice therefore fell on the T-Deck. Also attracted by the old-style keyboard similar (or identical) to that of the Blackberry

In a Meshtastic network, managing airtime is critical. Because LoRa bandwidth is limited, configuring how often a node broadcasts its metadata—such as position, telemetry, and node information—determines the balance between network visibility and congestion. I’ll try to outlines the technical configuration for two distinct roles: a Fixed Node and a Mobile Node. Both configurations imply that nodes are configured as “client”.

Fixed Node Configuration

A fixed node typically acts as a relay within the mesh. Since its physical location does not change, the broadcast intervals are generally higher than ones used for mobile nodes. Generally fixed nodes are plugged so power consumption isn’t a big deal. These are

As Meshtastic continues to explode in popularity, moving from a nice hobby for radio enthusiasts to a mainstream tool for off-grid communication, the airwaves are getting crowded. Unlike the internet, where bandwidth feels infinite, the Long Range (LoRa) spectrum used by Meshtastic is a finite, shared resource. For the more mature among us Meshtastic is more similar to the old Fidonet or the usenet.

If you are operating a node, you aren’t just a user; you are a participant in a living infrastructure. To keep the mesh healthy, usable, and welcoming, a set of community-standard “etiquette” rules has emerged.

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.