Meshtastic DIY - How To Build Your Own Meshtastic Node ESP32 & Lora Radio
Meshtastic DIY - How To Build Your Own Meshtastic Node ESP32 & Lora Radio
Create your own Meshtastic LoRa Node with our easy DIY guide. A complete step-by-step for building your customized mesh communication system
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.radio/post/3984948
Make your own Meshtastic LoRa Node with our easy DIY guide. A complete step-by-step for building your customized mesh communication system
Meshtastic is neat and I always contemplate building a node for fun. However, I've yet to see many practical uses for it beyond maybe texting while hiking.
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It's best use is alternative communications in a disaster, where the mobile network is affected. Or if a dictator decides to shut it off during a protest.
Overall it could work well as a communications means for activists in street protests since these often overload networks by sheer volume of users concentrated in one spot.
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Seems like this could be very useful if in a country with poor communication systems or a wartorn area. Also worth saving (print it out perhaps) if in the US and Trump becomes king.
Well I had many blogs about how to add sensors etc. Mostly I personally use it as walkie talkie but also I have seen people use it as a tracker for pets, and motion sensors at home maybe. I use it for temp sensor in each room in a handheld and I will take out for hikes etc.
I don't think I understand its purpose. It's a shared wireless communication network for text messages only? So, like, sms-only that is completely independent of the main grid?
Pretty much, yes. It does have some tiny file share capability IIRC (don’t trust me on this) but it’s pretty much just an off grid text based communication platform you connect to with your phone and Bluetooth. Can be extremely long range depending on terrain (line of sight is important)
For a beginner:
- Buy something like this all in one system: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BL7B47DR?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
- Flash meshtastic on it
- Download the app (or connect it directly to the computer) and your done!
Its pretty easy to get into. Just letting you know, its mostly just a pager. A self hosted pager, but a pager none-the-less.
How do you find people to talk to?
Honestly a bit of war-driving, they pick up the others and auto-populate the info. You can also go here: https://meshmap.net/ and look for your area.
We also have a local meetup for meshtastic that meets periodically. Its been fun.
Dont buy those kits. They are pretty overpriced and come with a shitty antenna and no battery
In my local area, we were able to get a mile or so with line of sight. And the price (less than 50 for 2) without soldering is a pretty good deal for a beginner. It also comes with a case.
You can also get the https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CTXL61LY?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details or add in a battery later on. Its meant to be a beginners kit because you an check to see if it works easily and its upgrade-able in almost all parts. We have close to 20 members in our local group (its a whole lot of fun) and almost everyone starts with one of these.
What do you recommend for beginners?
Is there a demand for a clean single PCB version of this instead of a bunch of hobby parts cobbled together? I can totally make that happen. Probably be 5 times smaller.