[chbot] Meshtastic

[Andy Gardner]

Hi Brendan,

Funny you should ask. :^)

Here's a quick run-down.

https://meshmap.net shows the nodes popping up locally. Not all show up, 
only the ones configured to. You don't need/want your IoT nodes showing 
on the map.

Branch 05 has a node running at the clubrooms (I was there last Tues at 
the tech night sitting in the comfy chair down the back doing some 
config changes on it).

Our Marleys node should be up and running hopefully this weekend.

http://meshtastic.org is the main site. https://meshtastic.org/docs/faq 
might be a good starting point.

I find the documentation a bit confusing - it's spread around on 
different pages and they switch between referring to nodes/users/devices 
even within the command structure. Not sure there's even a page that 
clearly explains what it's all about right from square one.

Some devices come with display and keyboard. You can interact with a 
headless nodes via a smartphone or CLI and connect via wireless, 
bluetooth or serial.

It can be used as a text communications network (very useful if an 
earthquake sees all the cell towers run out of battery), and other stuff 
like IoT.

There are modules built into the firmware for all sorts of IoT 
applications - https://meshtastic.org/docs/configuration/module/

It's all open source - https://github.com/meshtastic/ - so if someone 
wants to write a module for another use case, they can go for it.

Because it's LoRa it can go really long distances with very low power. 
The disadvantage to that is the devices are pricey due to the LoRa RF 
module required to be used.

Main support channel: https://meshtastic.discourse.group

Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/meshtastic/

There's a discord server for the NZ Meshtastic network

Email me for an invite URL

Possibly also something on farcebork but that ain't my thang.

If I come to tech night next Wednesday, I'll bring my Meshtastic Watch...

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005642999869.html

  and Blueberry*

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005692235592.html

for you to check out.

* Rumour is the keyboards are surplus real Blueberry NOS.





On 17/07/24 15:39, Brendan McNeill wrote:
 > Greetings
 >
 > Does anyone in this group use Meshtastic, or have experience with 
using it?
 >
 > I’m thinking I’d like to experiment with it.
 >
 > Thanks!
 >
 > Brendan  ZL3BAM
 >
 > --------------//----------------
 > brendan at mcneill.co.nz <mailto:brendan at mcneill.co.nz>
 > +64 21 881 883
 >
 >
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On 17/07/24 15:39, Brendan McNeill wrote:
> Greetings
> 
> Does anyone in this group use Meshtastic, or have experience with using it?
> 
> I’m thinking I’d like to experiment with it.
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Brendan  ZL3BAM
> 
> --------------//----------------
> brendan at mcneill.co.nz <mailto:brendan at mcneill.co.nz>
> +64 21 881 883
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Chchrobotics mailing list Chchrobotics at lists.ourshack.com
> https://lists.ourshack.com/mailman/listinfo/chchrobotics
> Mail Archives: http://lists.ourshack.com/pipermail/chchrobotics/
> Meetings usually 3rd Monday each month. See http://kiwibots.org for venue, directions and dates.
> When replying, please edit your Subject line to reflect new subjects.