meshtastic
A comprehensive guide on how to install and test the RTNode firmware on a Heltec v4: https://rns.recipes/forum/build-guides/how-to-install-and-test-the-rtnode-firmware
Firmware based on microReticulum, like RTNode, are now making it more practical to use #Reticulum for building a local #LoRa mesh. It can run autonomously on inexpensive, solar-powered hardware, just like #Meshtastic and #MeshCore have already been doing, but with an overall design that is much more focused on privacy and security compared to the other LoRa platforms.
I wrote about Meshtastic and Mastodon
https://tomcasavant.com/i-posted-to-mastodon-1-mile-away-from-an-internet-connection/
When I go to FOSDEM 2025, I will carry my orange #meshtastic node with me and it will be visible as „FOSDEMeshtastic e99c“. Maybe you do the same (when you have a node, obviously ;) Naming scheme is FOSDEMeshtastic <last 2 bytes of Bluetooth MAC address>. Could be fun to send messages and more! (meshtastic is quite secure and #GPLv3 licensed https://meshtastic.org )
Long thread on my discovery of meshtastic at https://social.wildeboer.net/@jwildeboer/113191557900339340
I wrote a blog post about my experience installing #Meshcore on my #Heltec V3 device and the settings you need when you are in Canada.
This is not an intro blog post to mesh in general, this assume existing knowledge about #Meshtastic
https://jeromegagnonvoyer.wordpress.com/2025/07/06/running-meshcore-in-canada/
We’ve been getting asked a lot lately about contributing, so we wanted to break it down for everyone. 💬
Getting started is easy, especially when you start with hello!
Follow this easy 3-step recipe! 📡
Mit dem neuen autakten #Meshtastic Node ist nun mein Wohnort versorgt. Anbindung zum nächsten Node ist gewährleistet. Jetzt fehlt noch ein Node in der Innenstadt von #Bergneustadt … #krisenvorsorge
Workshop Mesh Networks
07.02 in #Paris. Register here
https://mobilizon.fr/events/d324d913-3cf2-46cb-afe0-82703f4e1655
@joachim @NbYr #mesh #LoRa #meshtastic
🚀 Nodo LoRa outdoor, missione compiuta
Finalmente ci siamo.Dopo giorni a guardare il cielo come un contadino tecnologico, il meteo mi ha concesso la tregua necessaria e il nodo è salito in postazione.
Non un giocattolino buttato lì a caso, ma un piccolo presidio di resistenza radio piazzato con criterio.
Cosa c’è lassù a fare il suo dovere
Antenna esterna da 3 dB, meno vanitosa di certe antenne “muscolose”, ma con un angolo d’irradiazione più generoso, quindi molto più sensata per questo scenarioPannello solare, perché il sole qui non manca e tanto vale metterlo a lavorare
RAK4631, che nei consumi sembra alimentato a buone intenzioni
Cassetta stagna, perché l’elettronica ama la libertà, ma non la pioggia
Power bank con passthrough, che dà una mano seria alla già ottima batteria da 3000 mAh del RAK
Filosofia della faccenda
Ho scelto una soluzione equilibrata, non “da esibizione”, ma da uso reale.Poco teatro, molta sostanza.
Basso assorbimento, autonomia elevata, installazione pulita, e adesso il nodo è lì, pronto a fare il suo mestiere in silenzio.
E adesso
Adesso basta inseguire ogni minuto il cacciavite come se dovessi lanciare una missione spaziale.Si fa una pausa.
Ho seminato.
Ora si aspetta che la zona si popoli di altri nodi, e con la bella stagione in arrivo qualche probabilità in più c’è.
Io, nel frattempo, sono pronto.
Per il futuro
Non escludo altri cambiamenti, ritocchi, miglioramenti, esperimenti e inevitabili tentazioni da smanettone cronico.Ma per ora no.
Per ora si osserva, si misura, si impara.
Perché a volte la parte più difficile non è montare tutto.
È avere la pazienza di lasciar lavorare ciò che hai costruito.
Il seme è stato piantato.
Vediamo se questa piccola rete, da queste parti, comincia finalmente a germogliare. 🌱📡
#Meshtastic #LoRa
Join @ishotjr and a panel of special guests as we take a deep dive into the hottest #embedded #development and tiny #computing #boards! From the #Arduino #UNOQ to the #RaspberryPi 500+ and everything in between, we analyze them all. Plus, connect off-grid with #Meshtastic, and knit a #plushie #breadboard that really works! Register now for our Thursday, November 6th V95 #LaunchParty! 🥳
https://makezine.com/article/maker-news/live-make-magazine-volume-95-launch-party/
#MeshNetworks accounts to follow:
@meshcore - MeshCore official account
@meshtastic - Meshtastic official account
@battlemesh - Social events for mesh network enthusiasts
@libremesh - Modular framework for OpenWrt firmwares in wireless mesh nodes
@meshtastic_de - German Meshtastic discussion group
@blackforestmesh - MeshCore emergency network in Black Forest, Germany (in German)
@voyagermesh - MeshCore solidarity network in Dresden, Germany (in German)
Guten Morgen. Seit Samstag beschäftige ich mich um eine weitere Farcette im #Katastrophenschutz. Als ehemaliger #Amateurfunker triggerte mich das Theme #meshtastic definitiv. Ich habe mir einen Bausatz von #heltec zugelegt und dann den Schraubendreher geschwungen. Am Sonntag gab es #Nodes aus halb #Europa und natürlich Kontakt zu einigen Amateurfunkern vom #DARC. 1/2 #SOR #amateurfunk
I want to give an update about my project #TinyBBS, a #Meshtastic #BBS that runs on the meshtastic firmware itself without an rpi. It is now NRF52 based. The NRF is a more lightweight and efficient.
The BBS has Email, bulletins, daily wordle, a pretty rich LORD style multiplayer RPG, survival skills, chess, QSLboard, and Airplane QSL Board. The BBS is about 70KB and I do a neat party trick to store knowledge files like a full 12k #wordle dictionary on the external flash.
⚙️ Esperimenti sì, ma non sono mica impazzito
Ho installato l’ultimissima alpha del firmware ( 2.7.20.6658ec2 )sul mio Heltek V3 da scrivania.Sì, proprio una alpha.
Sì, proprio io.
No, non sul nodo bello. Non mi suicido tecnicamente così.
Perché il punto è semplice:
- Heltek V3 sulla scrivania = cavia ufficiale per test, MQTT, prove, smanettamenti vari
- RAK4631 sul palo = il gioiellino, quello che deve stare lì, consumare poco e fare il suo lavoro senza sceneggiate
ho dato in pasto la versione più recente e più sperimentale all’Heltek, non al RAK.
Il risultato, per ora, è promettente,
sembra andare bene.
Traduzione tecnica in dialetto amministrativo,
non canta vittoria nessuno, ma se non si pianta, non si riavvia a caso e continua a fare il suo sporco lavoro con MQTT, allora la bestiola si sta comportando meglio del previsto.
Morale della favola:
gli esperimenti si fanno sul banco, non sul gioiellino montato fuori.
Per il nodo serio sul palo ci vuole affidabilità.
Per le alpha ci vuole un volontario sacrificabile.
E infatti il volontario è stato lui,
l’Heltek V3 da scrivania, che ancora una volta si immola per la scienza. 📡😄
#Meshtastic
#LoRa
Why haven't mesh networks taken off more fully, especially for mobile devices like smartphones? I feel like I heard a lot about MANETs a couple decades ago and then... nothing.
Given the state of society these days, I feel like more democratic and resilient networking options might be important in the near future.
I'm excited for stuff like Velid, but I'm a little surprised that we don't have better options at the lower level of the network stack for resilient networking for it to ride on.
Why are we stuck with fiddly bits of extra hardware running stuff like Meshtastic and Meshcore? Why can't a reasonably sized mesh network be constructed exclusively using already existing onboard smartphone hardware?
I understand that LoRa gets more range between sparsely populated nodes, but it seems to me that most urban and suburban environments should have plenty of density for WiFi/Bluetooth to work.
As someone that's a bit ignorant on the topic, what are the key challenges holding us back? I can think of a few, but I don't know which ones are critical:
Wireless chipset and handset manufacturers might be reluctant if they can't figure out a way to monetize it.
Cell service providers probably see it as a threat, and might want to use their influence on hardware manufacturers to suppress it.
Governments would probably view it as a threat to their surveillance and censorship goals.
A lot of the activity might end up super sketchy, similar to IPFS and Tor, and maybe nobody wants to deal with the liability or hassle.
There might be significant challenges bumping up against the theoretical and practical scalability of mesh networks.
So what's holding us back?
Wat is #reticulum eigenlijk? Uhm geen #meshtastic of #meshcore :-)
Het is een netwerk protocol die verschillende verbindingen ondersteunt zoals tcp , lora, i2p en nog meer.
Je kan over het netwerk met verschillende apps allerlei services benaderen.
Om te chatten is https://ratspeak.org een goede app om te gebruiken. (kan je zien als een soort meshcore app)
Wil je meer dan is https://meshchatx.com een mogelijke keuze.
Er is zoveel meer ...
BREAKING! Meshcore team splits over dispute over AI-generated code disclosure, and hostile trademark takeover.
Meshcore is an off-grid, decentralised mesh radio platform powered by low-cost and public access LoRa radio technology for reliable, long-range emergency text and embedded sensors communication. It can communicate across kilometres — no towers, no subscriptions, no single point of failure.
https://blog.meshcore.io/2026/04/23/the-split
#meshcore #meshtastic #lora #radio #opensource #foss #drama #privacy #security #selfsovereignty #ai #copyright #takeover