What is Meshtastic?
Meshtastic® is an off-grid messaging system using inexpensive hardware to create your personal mesh. Radios forward messages to the next node to distribute them over the network. Communicate kilometers/miles between nodes. Internet-connected relay nodes enable the conversation to move online too.
Although Meshtastic is not strictly amateur radio, it is well within the interest of advancing the radio hobby. In the US, this technology runs on the unlicensed 915 MHz industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band.
Our Node
Our node is based off of a RAK Wireless RAK4631 core. It is inside a RAK Wireless Unify Solar enclosure that protects the electronics from the elements and provides power anytime there is sunlight. Inside there is a 1500 mAh lithium polymer battery, RAK Wireless RAK19007 base and RAK Wireless RAK12500 GNSS module. The node uses an ALFA AOA-915-5ACM 5dBi antenna mounted externally on the enclosure. Like most, it runs on the unlicensed 915 MHz ISM band. A permanent location is TBD.
For technical questions, contact Nathan Prince, KD9RCA.
Please check out the Meshconsin group as well. They are working to form meshtastic all across the state.