Meshtastic

What’s that? I hear you say. Well, I’ve been trawling t’internet recently and one of the chaps I follow on YouTube, Gabe, has got me very interested in this particular mode of radio communication. Here’s a video of him explaining Mesh communications in his own charming and extremely enthusiastic way.

The good thing about Mesh networks are that no licence is required for use, this means the system is truly open to everyone. As a registered radio amateur this system is of interest to me in the spirit of experimentation, and that’s what’s good about this particular mode. Everyone can do it at a very reasonable cost. In the UK it’s been present for a few years now and has an active core of participants. However, usage is very patchy and still developing, and due to the short range and lack of other users to repeat messages, its general take up is going to take a while yet, or in usual fashion it may even be a mode that just dies out due to lack of involvement. It’s not a mass-market tool yet, but a growing niche interest, especially among amateur radio, DIY tech, and preparedness communities. However, that said, in areas with little or no cell phone coverage this could well be a lifesaver. Below is a little bit about Meshtastic.

What is Meshatastic?

Meshtastic is a free, open-source project that lets you create your own decentralized, off-grid communication network using LoRa (Long Range) low power radios. It’s designed to let people send short messages and share data without relying on mobile networks, Wi-Fi, or the Internet.

Open-source & community-driven: Anyone can contribute, modify the software, or build devices with the firmware.

LoRa technology: Uses low-power, long-range radio waves in unlicensed frequency bands (like 868 MHz in the UK/EU).

Mesh networking: Devices form a mesh by rebroadcasting messages. Each device acts as a node that can relay messages to extend coverage.

Meshtastic’s goal is to provide reliable communications when other infrastructure is absent or unreliable and to offer a flexible platform for hobbyists and practical users alike.

How it works

Networking: LoRa radios transmit small data packets over long distances with very low power. Each device forwards messages it receives to nearby devices, forming a mesh network that extends reach beyond single-hop radio range. The network is decentralized — no central tower or internet access is needed.

User interaction: Devices can connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth and use the Meshtastic app to send messages or view locations. Messaging is typically text-based (no voice or high-bandwidth data).

Why use it?

People adopt Meshtastic for many reasons, often tied to availability, resilience, and independence from traditional networks:

Outdoor activities: Hiking, camping, biking: Stay in touch where cell signals are weak or absent. Location sharing: Useful for groups and safety.

Emergency situations: Natural disaster backup, communications can continue even if cellular networks fail. Communities and some groups experiment with using Meshtastic as an alternative communication layer during outages.

Technology and DIY: Education and hobbyists use it to learn about radio, mesh networking, and embedded systems. Integrations with IoT sensors and other projects are possible.

Community and social projects: Enthusiasts set up community networks, share nodes, and even run local meetup groups. 

What do you need to get started?

Basically, Amazon, EBay, and the Chinese suppliers such as Ali express have all you need. Needless to say the Chinese options are far less expensive if you are willing to await delivery. Just type “Meshtastic kit” into your browser to view your options.

As I’m in the Uk I can give some prices for the most basic setups within my country. To be honest, all that is needed is a Meshtastic main board of which there are a few to choose from, a power source and a mobile phone to do the setup. Something like this below.

From Amazon in the uk I can get this board, for £18:99GBP and that’s all I need to get started.

Add to that a small battery and you can probably power this unit for between 24hrs or even a week, dependant obviously on the battery capacity and how you have the system set up. A battery in the uk on Amazon would cost around £6-£10 GBP. You can buy enclosures to make the unit “pretty” or you can even 3D print your own. I think I will print mine when I finally have my printer up and working.

On the Chinese platforms these items can be purchased at a greatly reduced price, the main board can be purchased for around £3:00GBP, you can even purchase two entire units for less than the one that you get from Amazon. It really pays to shop around.

I’m shortly going to dive into setting up a Meshtastic node, I’m even going to set up an APRS one under my radio licence conditions, but that will be another post.

So hopefully this post may introduce others to an off grid communication mode that may well assist those in remote areas or with extremely limited cell phone coverage. As soon as I’m ready to build and place my node I will write a post regarding its build, programming and eventual usage. It is all very simple technology and worth having a read about on the Meshtastic website : Meshtastic introduction

Text you soon!