Meshtastic

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wikipedia:meshtastic

Goals[edit]

Fulfilled[edit]

  • purchase personal nodes
  • get basic functionality tested and working

Unfulfilled critical[edit]

  • pick base station node purchase
  • pick repeater node purchases
  • case redesign ideas
  • pick accessories that fit firmware features
  • pick accessories that don't fit current firmware features

Future goals[edit]

  • set up (bidirectional?) gateways
    • bot stuff
    • weather events
    • discord channel gateway
    • repeater events
    • wiki events?
  • desktop alerts and applications

Info label[edit]

All unattended nodes sponsored by the club should include a non-removable info label including:

  • club contact email and phone#
  • node purpose (pick one)
    • very short description (3d printed on club custom cases)
    • short description
    • long description if it fits
  • QR code to club meshtastic landing page, suggest http://t.cs.ucf.edu/mesh → meshtastic landing page

Purchase list[edit]

Maybe:

Looking for:

  • repeater node (spram??)
  • unpowered relay node??
  • weather station node

Hardware[edit]

See:

Brands/modesls:

  • LilyGo LoRa T3-S3
  • Heltec LoRa v3
  • RAK Wisblock
  • Pi Pico with LoRa add on board

Important hardware notes:

  • Semtech SX126x > SX127x series transciver chips

Other people's projects

We can buy a node with a case, or buy a separate enclosure for it. We can 3D print our own cases.

  • label with:
    • ARC@UCF
    • QR code to a nice mesh landing page
      • tools like this can pick redundancy
        • more redundant would be harder to print, but less redundant might not last in the elements/wear and tear
    • K4UCF
    • the name of the Node
    • serialized barcode?

Sensors and accessories[edit]

These are interesting items supported by the default firmware on the nodes we have:

  • buzzer -- cell motor + 2n2222 (adafruit)
  • accelerometer for taps (model?)
  • serial (data via external cpu over serial)
    • PIR sensor for base station node (adafruit)
  • LED
  • speaker/mic (only for 1.2Ghz and 2.4Ghz versions)
  • telemetry
  • cardKB

Software[edit]

Device[edit]

Server[edit]

Desktop[edit]

Uses[edit]

(brainstorming for future projects)

  • Club meshtastic repeater node
  • Text messaging / alerts
  • Tabling/ meet up alerts
  • back up in case of repeater & discord outage
  • 70cm Repeater events
    • subscribe to people?
    • anomalous events
  • SAME weather alerts
  • direction finding telemetry? (Serial comms)
  • IoT weather station?

Ideas[edit]

  • wall wart version
    • cry if it is unplugged (battery or supercap?)
    • 3d printed enclosure fitting usb power supply
    • sealed copper clad j-pole?
  • use big display in shack for info
    • mesh health
    • repeater stats?? (display refresh issues?)
    • SAME / weather predictions
  • enhancements
    • more sensors
    • more buttons
    • neopixels

mesh node variations[edit]

All unattended nodes (except personal node and computer gateway) should include an info label. Still need to research weatherproofing

Personal node[edit]

This is the first version of the personal nodes

Features:

  • GPS
  • Screen
  • Case
  • Antenna
  • Internal battery or external USB battery
    • internal battery should be at least 3Ah at 3.7 v or 11.1wh

Could add wireless charging, and make a dock for them Need to plan out water resistance, possibly use a “dust cover” style rubber plug to go into any electric or data ports( type C female).

looks promising

Unpowered repeater node[edit]

Features:

  • No screen or GPS
  • SP ram on at least one for store and forward
  • high efficiency CPU
  • large battery
  • large antenna

Will custom print a club branded case or use a commercial waterproof box.

Powered repeater[edit]

Same as unpowered node except

  • Replace battery with USB power plug
  • mount node to power plug
  • use the physically smallest board, efficiency not important

Outside node[edit]

  • Weatherproof box
  • good antenna (large, durable?)
  • solar panel + battery
  • battery temperature sensor ($1-$3)
  • vent / drain
  • high efficiency cpu
  • water proofed info with QR code

computer gateway[edit]

Repeater style nodes[edit]

"Expensive node" Hardware[edit]

Total: ~$100

  • Simple weather station
    • $1-$4 light sensor(s): $1 (up to 4?)
    • $25 waterproof temp/humidity
    • $2 water detection sensor

Total: ~$31

cheap plugin node[edit]

  • small wall USB charger with a port on an appropriate side
  • USB A or C node that can just plug into the charger as a complete unit
  • Should probably have a good antenna
  • Should have integrated labeling so it's not a mystery device

medium cost repeater[edit]

  • LilyGo T3S3 $17
  • Dual 18650 battery pack (Can be DIY using old cells or bought) (Molex 51021-0200 standard connector) $15
  • Use stock antenna for now $0
  • 3d printed case with identifying marks so people don't think it's a ~~bomb~~ unidentified electrical object with potential to have a thermal event leading to rapid disassembly $.2
    • club info printed on case
    • shape case to allow it to lie flat with antenna in correct orientation

Total: $32.2

Goals:

  • 24/7/365 Meshtastic repeater with 100% uptime bar the occasional firmware update
  • Primary link for future Meshtastic projects
  • Coverage of most of the University

Alternate cheap node[edit]

$10


Solar node[edit]

tools

  • 5/8 drill bit
  • Jigsaw
  • Soldering iron
  • Solder
  • Heat shrink tube
  • Wire strippers

another solar node parts list[edit]

Mesh drop Box



and another build guide

Settings[edit]

See https://meshtastic.org/docs/configuration/radio/

  • LoRa:
    • Region: United States
    • Use Preset: Yes
    • Mode: Long Fast
    • MQTT: up to use case
    • Number of hops: 3-7? up to use case, needs investigating
    • Frequency Slot: 20
  • Bluetooth
    • Pairing Mode: Fixed pin
  • Device Config:
    • Device roles:
      • Client: for all personal nodes
      • Client Mute: for any secondary personal nodes
      • Tracker: any nodesthat are meant to relay GPS location often
      • Sensor: nodes that are fed with data like weather station info etc.
      • Router late: needs research, maybe useful for any rooftop nodes
    • timezone :EST5EDT,M3.2.0,M11.1.0
    • Disable led heartbeat : true
    • GPIO: will set based on specific node needs
  • MQTT
    • Root topic: msh/US
      • Can also use msh/US/FL
      • Could look into a UCF specific one
    • Server
      • Address: mqtt.meshtastic.org
  • Range Test:
    • Keep disabled unless primary channel has been changed to a different chanel and you know what you're doing. you will send a lot of repetitive obnoxious messages out very quickly
  • Store and forward:
    • seems very interesting, we need to do more research on what is needed to have that set up.
  • external notification
    • external hardware: buzzer to siren
  • Power
    • calibration process

External links[edit]

More Info[edit]

Guides[edit]

Software[edit]

Hardware[edit]

other nodes

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