Follow These 10 Tips To Be A Meshtastic Pro!
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- Опубліковано 20 вер 2024
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Setting Up MESHTASTIC Off Grid Communications!
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I had contact with only two nodes. I then added a ground plane to the basic SMA screw on antenna that came with my Heltec board. (Just made out of some thin wire wrapped around the brass thread of the SMA connector, and then spread in an X shape.) Within an hour I had thirty seven nodes in the list and the total now is one hundred. I know my wire wrapped ground plane is a bit of a lash up and it will be made more permanent soon, but it does demonstrate that the basic antennas can be made to work much better quite easily. I love this channel Lewis keep up the good work. 73’s
Keep hittin' me with the Meshtastic videos, bro. I can take it.
I am an amateur radio operator based in the US and haven't heard of Meshtastic and LoRa until very recently. I am going to try this soon. Thanks for these videos, this project looks interesting and fun!
This system an stuff like Cyber-decks are really cool pieces of work
Lora is the way it sends long rang signals using low power Meshtastic uses lora but its not always compatible. You can buy a lora device but it might not be compatible with Meshtastic. Those systems are used for industrial applications.
@@perkunast9680 I got a Heltec V3 and it works. Not much node activity in my area yet
LoRa is also used on 70cm for APRS tracking (on 439MHz): when walking on Winter Hill I'm often received by IGates in Shropshire and the Welsh Borders, more than 60 miles away. Also high-altitude balloon enthusiasts use it in the 434MHz ISM allocation to send telemetry and pictures from their stratospheric flights: in this case ranges of more than 300km are possible.
Ross!! Welcome!
Another fantastic video. I'm just getting into Meshtastic and have no area nodes, so I am promoting it to other hams. Some dash the idea as not useful. I honestly don't waste time with them. I hope in a year to report that Meshtastic has taken hold in Mint Hill, NC USA. Thanks again, Lewis.
What great timing, I just unboxed and set up my first Heltec V3. It does occur to me now though that I'm in the southern US, and I'm an amateur radio operator involved with my local club, yet I've never heard those guys talk about this, so my odds are finding a lot of people here are slim, but it's still super neat. On what feels like a related note, devices like LoRa, $20 Chinese HT's and $30 USB SDRs are breathing fresh air into amateur radio. I have several nice HF rigs now, but if the cost of entry was still $1,000+, I never would have got into amateur radio.
I'm a General Class and I just found out about Meshtastic and LoRa the other day. I'm going to ask the hams on our local repeater chat tonight if any of them are into this hobby. I agree with you on the HT's. My first HT was a Wouxun for about $75. - KB1YRF
General class here as well and I just ordered two Heltec V3s over the weekend... from China. I couldn't find any US suppliers who had them in stock! Not sure if they've become that popular or just not a lot of supply in general. We'll see how well-built they are, especially for interference. I'd love to slap a node up on a radio tower, but not sure it'd like the RFI from the commercial transmitters on the site.
Hey there Ringmaster!
Thanks for making me aware of the progress meshtastic has made. Remember being interested in it a few years ago. But never got into it then. But this week i got two heltek nodes working. No luck finding anybody elves yet in my town, in Sweden. Thanks and happy meshing Lewis!
Great video! Reducing the ping interval is a great tip. The default seems to be 3 hours, which is really not a lot, and it doesn't give nodes that are only just within range a lot of chance to see each other. I have a node set up permanently in my attic, and just reduced the interval to 60 seconds.
Hi Lewis. Hello again from Portland, Oregon. One of my friends and I just pooled our resources and bought a pair of Lilygo T3S3 ESP32-S3 LORA boards. Thank you for all the info on the topic. We appreciate it. 73 my friend
My frustration with Meshtastic is the 'sold out' status of the US 915 MHz devices. ;-(
Aliexpress, if you don't mind waiting a bit. I ordered a Heltec V3 last night, just got a notice that expected delivery is March 9. I also ordered a 'RAKwireless Meshtastic Starter Kit Alternative with RAK5005-O Base' from Rokland. It's showing (19) in stock right now. It's the same kit/board as the 'regular' starter kit except that it is has a micro-USB port instead of USB-C. It's already shipped from Florida and will probably be here in 2-3 days.
@@MyTube4Utoo Thank you!
Worth double checking, but several types let you pick frequency - though you might have to get a different antenna, as it might be from 433 or 868. Obviously this is more cost.
I suspect a lot of this is a combination of lots of exposure on youtube + Chinese New Year… I bet availability will improve over the next few weeks
@@leapofshed I will keep looking.
I have my T-Beam since COVID days and sadly, I wasn't able to pickup anyone in the mountainous/hilly area of the USA but im still trying.
Nobody in paris france 433mhz 😭😭
If you’re new to this, start with a ready made device, like the LilyGo T-Echo. If you buy stuff you have to build on top of figuring out Meshtastic, it’s a lot to figure out.
For clarification with the device you’ve shown here.. it’s possible to message others who may be using cellular. Over the whatsapp which could be downloaded on the. Mesh device (or appropriate signal/channel nonetheless ?)
I know you mentioned you dislike the integration.. I agree with you. Although my goal has been to find a device which will allow me to message others which are not on the same page as me so to speak ( not into mesh/ not prepping or w.e) But also having the surety of my “readiness” worked within my common routine. As a millennial you know we don’t go far without our celllphones so I am just looking to ensure one thing is crossed off the list at least ; Having capacity in communication
Maybe you could do a public service announcement about the use of the range test module. For days, I've been spammed by nodes broadcasting every 15 seconds. I can't get any airtime!
Good idea, mounting the radio at the antenna rather than using a long run of coax cable. It's a lot easier to get power up the pole than it is RF at that frequency.
Setup my node last weekend, You've probably picked my node up as I'm halfway between you and Liverpool.
Just got my haltec board today, will be onair soon,printing a case as i type.See you out there.
I just mentioned Lora and meshtastic on our Monday night net. I hope to generate a bit of discussion to get the ball rolling.
My two Heltec nodes are nearly with me in the UK from AliExpress. Hoping to help bridge a gap between Milton Keynes and Aylesbury via Buckingham
A good use can be squad level comms in a limited area.
I just bought one! Got a little Heltec off Aliexpress as everything is out of stock and it's coming on March 5-7. I'm also getting a yagi too. Great video and hope to get multiple meshtastic contacts too!
Great video and tips! I'm with you.. RF only.. Using this for chatting over the internet is no fun at all.
I would love to put up a big aerial, but I don't really want to run a wire out to the garden, and putting a hole in my house.
Im in the Cairngorms and looking to put a node at about 550 metres above sea level. Hopefully will get some good range up there. Thanka for your great videos
Frustrated with the “sold out” for all the nrf52840-based off-the-shelf solutions like the T Eco. I'm contemplating learning Visual Studio just to compile my own firmware to use an ebyte 1w model paired with an nrf52840 development board. I have seen people have attempted it but the projects have gone dark for the last few years.
Could you put up the links for the cases you use please.
This will be great for Protests, I've heard of drug dealers using these....
👍
just orderd 3 kits from aliexpress .. also going to make a gateway with a pi or sbc de m6pnp
Hi Lewis, thanks for all info.
Thanks for your videos!!! There should be a few additional nodes popping up in the Chorley area soon, I've bought a V3 dual pack for myself and a friend. He's a prepper and is in a local Facebook group with other like minded people
Glad you like them! Have fun!
3:40 And don't use bloody PL-259 shite either mate
Got two questions for you.
Do you know if it’s possible to run the public network AND your home grown private network on the same device(s) concurrently?
As a licensed amateur can one assume there to be no issue with hooking up a 70cm PA and pumping out a healthy amount of dBm?
Limited to the 433Mhz devices, obviously.
Totally agree about not using the MQTT for everyday networking. But it does come in handy when you dedicate a device in a security situation and want to receive an alert from a remote device based on sensor input.
Keep the Meshtastic info coming.
The more networked nodes and the more educated the users the better.
You got me into shortwave listening recently using an xhdata d-808. Now just ordered a couple of LoRa 32’s off Amazon and going to give Meshtastic a go. In Salford and waiting to be approved to the Facebook group. *hint hint*
Thanks for the videos. can you do a more in depth video on how long fast works? I set up my meshtastic today and got a contact on longfast from another user in my town but not sure what to do next. Do I message out everyday? Does it appear like a group chat to other users? lots of great videos about set up etc but I'd love some more in depth stuff on how messaging actually works.
Also going through the different tabs in the app and what they do. There's about 5 other users showing in one of the tabs but I have no idea on what to do. thanks
I live on a isolated near coastal town on Vancouver Island BC Canada I would think I will likely need to buy or build a 915 MHz Yagi there are only about 5 nodes in around Vancouver city. the closest nodes on map to me are roughly 100 Km away. and over a dozen in the US northwest Seattle areas 200 Km away. I still might want to set up a station just to see what I can pick up and hopefully Mesh becomes more known and popular in the future.
Attach the small one to a drone and use BT to connect to your phone?
I have an rf amp for sdr, I plan on connecting it up to see what happens. I have 7 of these heltecs and can afford to offer one up for the furtherance of technological experimentation.
thanks for this great content, great seeing you active in the groups too
if you place an antenna in a loft where is the best place for the antenna in the middle of the loft or next to the gable end
As far away from anything as possible. Gable ends are usually solid brick so I’d steer clear unless you’re using a beam and beaming away from the brick
This has to be the first time I've had a QSL report via a UA-cam video 😂
LMR-400. great tip
I've been sitting across the pond watching the mesh grow over there, and it's quite amazing so congratulation's. My question is about the T-Deck. I ordered one from China, and am waiting on it. I'm wondering if you can only access the public network. If it works with private groups how does that work?
What would you recommend as dedicated, ready to use Meshtastic router? (Small range)
When you put a node up in the loft, do you talk to that node directly from your phone via bluetooth, or do you hop via another node in your radio shack?
I've just received my two Heltecs from Aliexpress yesterday, all flashed up & can see a dozen nodes already :) I'm G4PHL
Where did you source the T-deck case? I can't find one to print that has capability for the SMA connector and battery.
It would be awesome if UK and continental Europe could be linked with this. What do you think, Lewis - is it in principle possible with good enough equipment on both sides, and what could that look like?
Don't really agree with antenna comments. 868 is the non licensed band as you say, but stuffed with nb-iot, lorawan tons of stuff. One thing worth adding is a bandpass filter. Saw should be fine as I doubt the cost of cavity can be justified. A high gain antenna with bandpass filter, mha perhaps and yes deffo high quality cable too will have a huge impact on the link balance. Depends on sensitivity of rx obv but reckon that would help a lot. You can't control height, so the main things you can control are these.
Where did you get the grey 3dbi antenna from?
When i can find another v3 expect a big signal for lancs area on test
I agree! IP ruins it. Why connect to the internet, when my phone already does that.
Super helpfull thanks.
MMQT might explain why I’ve got some nodes logged in Germany..?
No idea why anyone is doing coax runs beyond a few inches between antenna and lora device. Much better to run a long power cable than a long coax.
Mast mounted with a long power cable is better than the fierce coax signal losses down a length of coax any day 👍🏻
I watch all your videos im an X ham not active now, im concerned and thinking of getting a radio because of possible impending war what would you suggest, regards BB28ML
I have one question: setting my device to LONG RANGE SLOW would be able to find more nodes than LONG RANGE FAST?
If the other nodes are also setup on long range slow yes, but if no one else is setup on long range slow you won't get anyone
What if you attach this to a drone?
Won't you be able to have insane reach?
You can make a torroid "aliment" with just a few coils maybe wire it with g O feilo wire and use like a germanium fm dia style cording for like a mhi magnetic accelerator diode module with a octagonal recoil stator you see for a motocross system within it your device wire it device ground or ground hot coil with a power updraw from like PS2 slim supply and up big on that pm modulation st-am for your speaker also suping it for sensitivity is a given maybe some conducting Dope for flexi plasyic lamination on the diaphram
So what is this? Is there a intranet? are there websites, or usenet groups? is it email, or irc? Like what's there to do once you get one of these setup? is this LoRa?
Is 915MHz legal in the UK? 868MHz is not legal in Region 2 (Americas)
I think the mqtt side of things is misunderstood. Could use it to communicate with other amateurs via any means necessary. The data itself should be ham radio content and must first touch airwaves to make it anywhere
Still fairly sparce in the east mids.
Does the number of meshstastic users somehow affect the network load?
Is it possible to overload the network from too many users?
Is it possible to send voice messages like in WhatsApp?
I've watched all your videos on Meshtastic etc (and Andy Kirby's) But I think I'm missing something. What is the use case here? Being able to message a stranger saying "Hi Chum, I've picked you up from 47km away" seems a bit, well, pointless? What is the hook that keeps people doing this? Not trying to be negative, but want to understand the hobby, please don't hate on me!
Right now the main hobby is building out the network. It’s changing every single day so you speak to new people each time. As the mesh matures it can be seen as “CB radio 2.0” where you can talk about anything and everything. If the worst does happen and theres a power cut or worse, then network will keep going, even when other networks might not. There’s other things which can be done with Meshtastic such as weather information and remotely controlling things / getting the status of things. That’s just me though, other people are in it for different reasons.
I think that's a fair question that has not really been covered in videos.
From what I've read in Facebook groups, people are using it as a text based CB radio. Chatting to people fairly local to them, exchanging tips and advice of setups and hardware, as well as general chit-chat. Personally I wonder how long lived the "craze" will be, the hardware is impossible to get at the moment unless you buy direct from China and that takes weeks. I do see it as a stepping stone for some (those interested in electronics and comms) into the wider radio hobby, I used CB back in the 90s and had a lot of fun making contacts and meeting up, some friends from back then are still friends now, it's how techies found each other before the Internet. So with that in mind it's likely to be a good 'place' for techies to make contact with likeminded people in their own area, something the Internet isn't great at doing.
For some people that is the fun, but if you want another angle, I first learned of LoRa (and subsequently Meshtastic) from computer nerd circles. I first saw it used for connecting two or more devices at range without internet, an array of sensors to a computer that aggregates the data, for example.
Whew I thought I was the only one. I see how but no reason why. I mean, it’s like a party room for texters. Why?
I get the independence, licence free, off grid, stick it to the man vibe. And the fun of having a hobby. I had CB's in the 80's with burners and it was exciting being such a such a lawless rebel! Perhaps I'm just getting old. This is quite a niche within an already niche hobby I think. (Although as everything is sold out perhaps not!) But live and let live.
“Meshtastic is growing at a massive rate”…you and Andy are like 99% the reason for the boom 😂 thanks for the new hobby though 😁
Hi,Where did you get the case for the thumbnail (lilygo T deck??) meshtastic...ordered one and its board only,thanks 73!!
I printed it
Whats with the use of kilometers in the videos lately. Did the uk switch over to it at some point that I missed?
🥱
The UK started moving to the metric system for mapping in 1935, the process was complete in 1965. So yes we have been using kilometres for a bit now 😂.
The absolute ignorance. Good grief 🤦♂️
I want to build a tower node where I love
Ofcom need to give us a couple more CSS channels at 27dBW further down the band.
Question deaf people can use messages sent? And it’s hard to learn how to communicate?
Thank
It's text based
do you know is it possible to use a meshtastic device with a Windows computer without internet?
Is there a map/list of nodes held online anywhere? There was a map i found but it was blank.
I’ve yet to see another node besides the two I created.
Hey Ringway, I've been really curious - whats that song in your outro?
I asked my iPhone.. it listened.. and said "High School Cruising" by Joe Broman
Can you get tv on it?
Hi! I see the external antenna. I´m wondering what the best radio for standalone node use is? Want to set up a node, to add coverage to my city, a remote point. High up, access to power. I want to mount it in a weatherproof box connected under the antenna, to get shortest possible cable run. Is there any good POE solutions to recommend? Total cable tun from power is about 10 meters. Also plans to add one to my roof, same antenna and box and power, but need to be able to connect inside my house with bluetooth. Need a 868Mhz setup, if the 433Mhz is not recommended? Norway based.
Boards based on the SX1262 chipset have better performance - e.g. Heltec V3 and the Newer Lilygo boards…
You can easily get POE to usb power splitters in the usual places for ~ €10-15
Mounting the lora board to the antenna with a very short pigtail is a great idea to reduce loss.
You might not need to be able to connect via bluetooth to the board on the roof… you can just have another node inside that will connect to your outside one via LoRA… I think Lewis mentioned he does this in an earlier video…
Which is best Lora or Heltec.
Thanks Bob Australia
Lora is the moss, heltec is an equipment brand
Meshtastic is great and all, but man does it feel like it's taken over all of my youtube feed. Nearly every radio related youtube channel I am subscribed to has done multiple videos about it now, to the point I don't bother clicking on half of them.
Maybe I'm just burnt out because of the lack of any sort of activity where I live, or maybe it's just because so many people have jumped on the bandwagon, or maybe I'm just a "sad ham" ( I really hope not lol), but boy does this seem over-saturated on youtube right now.
video should be called 'be fantastic on meshtastic'
the cases bit is where im most disappointed, either pay for a unprofessional looking brittle 3D printed non-waterproof case or 3D print your own naff looking brittle case. why dont these companies make proper commercial grade cases for these devices??like the T-Deck for instance, can you imagine Blackberry being a success if they shipped out like this? its a serious bugbear for me and needs to be addressed!
I agree
Probably because it would cost more than the actual board
@@4X4-RADIO nah not in this day and age, even a billet cnc case wouldnt double the price and even if it was, id still buy it!
@@RingwayManchester i know yourself and andy are putting some kind a uk shop together, maybe get in contact with some youtube CAD artists and start shipping them as complete commercial grade products! i think this would give a serious boost to UK LoRa uptake and help to expand our ever growing network! maybe have cases for the pocket, cases that can accomadate extra modules, cases that are designed to be waterproof outdoor setups etc. as they say in sales, exploit the gaps in the industry and prosper!
I’m not putting a shop together? Not sure where you’ve got that from?
can't get any of the kit anywhere
How to purchase in india?
Where all good things come from. The Internet.
Is it possible personalize the working frequency?
Like change 433 MHz to any FRS Channel?
I found very interesting for traking test on a hang glider while in flight.
no…
Well you *can* alter the frequency and you'd have to alter both to the same. You can also create your own encrypted 'channel' too.
@@TrystansWorkbench you cant alter the frequency. the lora board is hard set to a particular frequency for specific regions…
Please explain the modulation used.
Lora, it’s a form of spread spectrum
HB9BLA has some good videos focusing on the technical aspects of the modulation you might want to check out
How do get your received nodes to stay on your screen so you ca.n compile a list
They stay on there even after you can't see them.
@@TrystansWorkbench thanks for your reply
Fine I'll make my own internet
My internet:
Sounds perfect and peaceful
Is 869.525 Mhz still the default frequency as mentioned in Andy Kirby's video? I'm still waiting here in Padiham to receive anything.
It is
Thank you Lewis
@@RingwayManchester
@@RingwayManchesterYou're seen in Padiham Lewis, amongst many others lately !
Can someone explain to me why I would want to connect to random strangers using Meshtastic? I am interested in Meshtastic because it allows for low power encrypted private messaging to people I know. Having a large number of random people on the default channel seems pointless/useless to me.
You don't have to contact people you don't know, it's not required. If you watch Lewis's recent video on how he increased his Meshtastic range you will see how contacting strangers can sometimes end up being a lot of fun. If that isn't for you then don't do it.
How does this differ from Helium LoRa?
Same underlying radio technology, no Cryptocurrency stuff, No need to use expensive “Miners”, cheep development boards can be had for ~ $20, just people building a LoRa network for fun not profit 😁
@@leapofshed 👍
Hi Lewis, yesterday I compared a ttgo, tbeam and a heltech V3 with my roof antenna and the rssi signal of all the received stations have a 10 to 20 dBm higher rssi. Is this maybe the difference between the sx1262 and the sx1276 or does the "rxboost" of the sx1262 simply boost the rssi by numbers without any benefits in snr or sensitivity?
In case you have so many node contacts you could make a comparison between the hardware itself.
Don't know if it's clear, sorry for my English. The heltech V3 produces a significant higher rssi level compared to the tbeam and the paxcounter, both might have a sx1276, the heltech has the sx1262 where the app provides a "rxboost". The thing is, is it really more sensitive or does it only boost the rssi level and not the snr.
The sx1262 is the newer chip, and if the specifications are to be believed has 11dB more sensitivity than the sx1276… as well as improved power usage…
were you able to pick up any weak stations you couldn’t get with the lilygo boards on the heltech?
@@leapofshed No, I didn't receive weaker stations, that's why I ask if it's only a higher rssi without any benefits. I receive 6 stations. 2 directly and the rest via repeater. And the 2 directly show 10 to 20dbm better rssi. But if there is no better snr the higher rssi has no effect. Buts it's interesting anyway if there are hardware boards that could receive significantly better.
@@saxpert comparing RSSI numbers on the rx side between different devices doesn’t necessarily mean anything…
RSSI is intended as a relative measure… so you could use it to compare the strength of the signal you are receiving from two different remote stations accurately… but the absolute numbers you will see on different devices may well be different…
Without expensive test equipment you could compare the performance of two radios by going portable… setup 1 board on the roof… then take the two boards to compare on a walk/bike… see which one can receive further away…. you should be able to compare tx performance if you log rssi at the base station…
@@leapofshed yeah I'm a more or less experienced operator in HF things. Of course I could try to test the sensitivity with another node walking around hiding it or build a setup with a variable attenuation part and reduce the input step by step to figure out the sensitivity. But that's kind of work. Lewis said that he receives a lot of nodes so by switching the nodes or using an antenna splitter with deactivated tx he probably could compare the different nodes and chips (rak as well) and make a video about it 😉
Err.. do you think criminals could find a use for a network like this..?
Err.. probably, like with every other form of communication
@@RingwayManchester 😂
Runcorn!
So there's a grid now. 😂😂
Is there a complete idiots guide to meshtastic? I am too novice for this video. I want permissionless text based comms without third party infrastructure. Is that what meshtastic is?
If I live in a suburban area, will I hope across other peoples nodes? Can they read my comms? How close does the closest node have to be? Can I use it between me and a mate when camping ?
The Idiots Guide To Meshtastic - Long Range Comms!
ua-cam.com/video/N3FXej9fqIk/v-deo.html
I winder if it's a thing in America cause I know there's alot of people who want privacy
It very much is.
Sorry but the title of this video is inaccurate, cos i'm an idiot and it's left me with more questions.
You mentioned setting up the ping intervals but i can't see that word mentioned in any menu, how do i set up up a node to regularly announce its presence, or adjust how often it does so?
I literally showed you on the screen as I was talking about it brother….
i did say i was an idiot...@@RingwayManchester
❤
My area is oversaturated now, mainly by MQTT traffic, despite me having it on ignore. Killing the band.
People that piss and moan about facebook groups are so annoying in hobbyist spaces -- like yes, ok, facebook is a blight and social media at large can be an issue -- but if you have some niche hobby I guaran-fucking-tee theres a facebook group that suits your exact needs.
I wouldn't know half of what I know about 4wds, motorcycles, electronics, engines etc etc if it weren't for facebook groups.
👏👏👍💯
Meshtastic is pretty much useless. It's range is less than a block.
That’s your setup not Meshtastic…
👍🏼👍🏼😊😊