Do you ever wish you had a way to message people long-distance without the need for cell networks or a Wi-Fi connection, or even satellites? You’re going to want to hear about a tiny, cheap radio I bought and connected to my smartphone.
Off-Grid Messaging Is Possible (and Cheap)
Reading about community resilience recently, I came across talk of something calledMeshtasticand how it lets you stay in touch with people miles away even if your internet access and the power grid itself were shut off. It works thanks to a technology called “LoRa.” The concept intrigued me because, aside fromsome Bluetooth- and Wi-Fi-based P2P apps, I wasn’t aware of any way to message people with zero cell carrier or ISP infrastructure.
Looking into it more, I became convinced I needed to give it a try. At the very least, I like the idea of having a reliable way to stay in touch with a few local friends no matter what happens to the networks we’ve all come to rely on. It turned out to cost as little as $22 to get started in the hobby, too.
Wait, What Is LoRa?
I know enthusiast hobbies like this seem impenetrable when technical jargon gets thrown around, so I’m going to back-pedal and define a few terms.
The name LoRa is short for “Long Range,” and that tells you pretty much what you need to know. Without getting too much into the technical details, LoRa is a type of radio communication technology that can send data long distances—typically maxing out at 10 to 15 kilometers, or about 6 to 9 miles—with very small antennas and without consuming much energy. Since they’re so low-powered, they last a long time on small batteries, and an grid-free solar setup is easy.
Sounds great, right? The technology’s weak point is its data transfer rate. Averaging around 13kbs, only short strings of text are feasible to transmit. That’s why LoRa is often used in Internet-of-Things and smart home tech, since those devices usually only need to send short, intermittent messages like sensor data to each other. It’s also why LoRa is great for text communication between humans, which is where Meshtastic comes in.
What Is Meshtastic?
Meshtastic is a set of free and open source firmware and software that let you use LoRa antennas to form a mesh-style communication network. LoRa radios with Meshtastic firmware installed are able to communicate with each other and also act as “mesh nodes” that pass messages across the network. Think of it as license-free HAM radio, but text-based, and not as wide-reaching.
If you getthe Meshtastic Android apporiPhone app, or if you use the web interface, you can take control of a Meshtastic node and send messages with it. You can chat on public, unencrypted channels or send encrypted direct messages to specific nodes. You can also create encrypted group chats for you and your family and friends, so long as they have Meshtastic nodes of their own.
The app also lets you see a map of nearby nodes when their owners have chosen to upload their GPS data. You tweak the settings of your node with the app, too, to manage your level of privacy and control the behavior of the node itself.
What’s This Even Good For?
You might be wondering at this point why anyone would want to get into a radio-based mesh network texting hobby. There are several reasons.
First, they’re useful for personal safety when you’re traveling, outdoors especially, in an area with unreliable or zero cell service. If you need help when your cell signal is failing, you can power on your Meshtastic device and see if anyone nearby happens to be operating a node. This is where the GPS function comes in handy, because you can forward your location to people on the network, kind of like Apple’s location-sharing feature.
Second, you’ll have an appreciation for them if you’re ever in a catastrophe where you lose access to both the power grid and the internet. So long as you have enough power to turn on your node and your phone, you can stay in touch with other people in the local mesh.
Finally, these things are just plain cool. The ability to communicate over several miles on encrypted channels that don’t rely on corporate telecom infrastructure gives the hobby a cyberpunk appeal. You can choose whatever call sign you want, and it doesn’t require a license like HAM radio does. I connected one of mine to a set of solar panels in my attic any solarpunk enthusiast can appreciate.
Since Meshtastic involves cheap, basic parts and open source software, there’s also a huge DIY scene involved. you may 3D-print your own case or buy one on Etsy from makers using their own custom designs. Some people just buy pre-built devices and paint them or apply decals to make them unique. There’s a ton of room for creativity.
My Experience Trying Meshtastic Out
After learning about Meshtastic, I decided to go all in and buy three devices so I could thoroughly test out the experience: oneLilygo T-Echoand twoMakerHawk ESP32 Heltec V3 devices. I assembled and set up the devices as “nodes,” connected my phone with the Meshtastic app, and started broadcasting
Lilygo T-Echo Meshtastic LoRa Device
This LoRa device is made for use as a Meshtastic node and uses an e-paper display to conserve energy for its 850mAh battery. It connects via Bluetooth or USB-C, and it includes built-in GPS support so you can instantly send your location to friends on your mesh network.
What I learned, unfortunately, was that I live in a valley where radio signals seriously struggle to penetrate the surrounding hills and buildings. Adding to the problem was the lack of anyone near my home operating a node that could connect me with a network beyond my immediate surroundings.
I was able to take one of my nodes a mile or two away to the top of a hill and successfully stayed in contact with one back home, but going much further away my home signal became non-existent. I was able to connect to several surrounding Meshtastic nodes, though. I was annoyed and started looking into solutions.
I orderedmuzi works' 17cm whip antennasto boost my signal. Replacing antennas was easy, and while it was an improvement technically, it still wasn’t enough to get past those hills. My next move is to try setting up some solar-powered nodes near my location that my home node can use as a “hop” to get out of the valley.
What You Need to Get Started
If you search for LoRa and Meshtastic on Amazon, you’ll be absolutely inundated with options. That’s a drawback to a cheap hobby with open standards: gear comes in all shapes and sizes, all with varying bells and whistles.
The absolute cheapest, bare-bones way to dip your feet into Meshtastic is to get a single development board with an LoRa antenna, likethe Heltec V3for $22, then connect it to a computer and usethe Meshtastic flasher websiteto install the latest firmware.
If the words “firmware flash” sound scary you, don’t worry. All it involves is a few guided clicks or a drag-and-drop of a file, depending on the device you have. Wait a few minutes for the process to complete, then reboot, and you’re ready to go. I recommend typing your device’s model name and “meshtastic” into YouTube so you can get a visual demo.
However, if you buy a naked board, you’re going to want to keep its sensitive equipment protected from the elements. Like I said earlier, you can buy custom cases on Etsy—just specify the model you bought.
You should be aware that having only one node will limit you to chatting with nearby strangers who happen to have their own nodes. If you want to talk to a friend or family member, they’re each going to need their own. That’s why I recommend starting with a pair of devices, like MakerHawk’s Heltec V3 cases-included two-pack kit, which, with a coupon applied, is $59 on Amazon at the time of writing.
ESP32 LoRa Heltec V3 Device (2 Pack)
These two LoRa radios are Meshtastic-ready so you can hit the ground running in building a mesh network that you can send messages over long distances. They have OLED displays, 915MHz antennas, USB-C connectivity, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support.
I also recommend considering an antenna upgrade, like I mentioned earlier, especially if you’re unsure anyone near you is running Meshtastic nodes. The stubby antennas that the cheap models aren’t the most efficient.
muzi works 915Hz Whip Antenna - 17cm
This antenna is purpose-built for LoRa devices running Meshtastic firmware. It improves transmission efficiency on average from 69% to 98% compared to the stock stubby antenna that comes with many popular Meshtastic nodes.
The serious enthusiasts out there go even bigger and either build or buy Meshtastic devices with a built-in keyboard.The Lilygo T-Decklooks like a Blackberry and has a color LCD display above its keyboardandtrackball mouse. It doesn’t get much cooler than that, and best of all, it means you can send messages without a smartphone.
No matter what, the more nodes and the better their antennas, the more usable and reliable the local Meshtastic network becomes. If there’s no one close enough to message you yet, that just means you get to be the person your neighbors discover when they come online. Or, just keep a few devices in storage as part of an emergency communication plan. It’s the kind of tech hobby you can get as far into as you want, and it can expand, literally, as far as you’d like.
