User Panel
User Panel
User Panel
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Posted: 4/23/2024 11:30:05 AM EDT
[#1]
Quote HistoryQuoted: What antennas are your using on your fixed tower nodes? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CQV9QX5S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 |
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Posted: 4/23/2024 11:48:34 AM EDT
[#2]
Quote HistoryLooks to be the same as mine. |
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Posted: 4/23/2024 12:42:38 PM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Maybe I missed it but would anyone be willing to post a parts list with links to building their setups? I posted this somewhere already. if you dont want gps the rakwiress starter kit 24 bucks is the lowest battery useage as far as I know, no screen and no gps saves battery. Their solar panel is a decent deal, if its going to get full sun. solar panel 3 bucks or so For batteries there are options, but if going for plug and play and low profile the rokland battery works well and is not too bad, you can also do a 18650, but then you need a battery holder. and it gets larger. as for antennas the rakwireless comes with one that works but is not great. These ant are better, and only a few inches long but there are better ones that are just much longer, if you want compact these are the way to go. The actually post their swr readings and are in the right range. if you want gps and a screen heltec tracker maybe the best and cheapest, just be careful it uses a different battery connector. The heltc tracker does not have connectors for solar panels, but I just soldered on a usb c plug to the solar panel wire and put it in the usb c jack on the board. The board has the battery charger built in. I bought this solar panel From amazon and it charges the battery from dead in a single sunny day, and the battery on the wisblock is good for a week with no charging. So even a week of bad weather and it should stay fully charged. Now just find the box you want to put it in and go from there. @jdogg1583 |
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Posted: 4/23/2024 1:32:05 PM EDT
[#4]
I did the RAK wireless starter kit from Amazon and had bought one of these from aliexpress.
It saved time for me, no hunting parts and assembling them for the solar portion of the build. I also bought a Type N connector and antenna like someone above linked. |
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Posted: 4/23/2024 3:01:43 PM EDT
[#5]
This is the one I have on the roof of the house.
 Attached FileI'm using the Rak starter kit and 3000maH battery. It'll run a week without charging but the solar panel always seems to bring it up to 100% daily. Antenna https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CQV9QX5S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Project Box https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08TRLGVFF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 Solar Panel https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C4L1L1BD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 The solar panel is glued (silicone) to the project box over a hole I drilled to allow access to the USB port on the back of it. Obviously there are some adapters and such used for connecting the antenna and that sort of thing. This is the one I keep in my truck. It sits in there with a DMR MMDVM. Yes I need to clean it up...  Attached File Attached File |
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Posted: 4/23/2024 10:46:28 PM EDT
[#6]
 ??New 2024 Off-Grid Solar Meshtastic Build Video?? |
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Posted: 4/24/2024 10:46:35 PM EDT
[#7]
 Easy and Budget friendly Meshtastic Solar Build! |
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Posted: 4/24/2024 11:47:11 PM EDT
[#8]
The denvermesh.org guys have been hard at it. I’m seeing a ton of nodes from that direction and most are about 60 miles away.
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Posted: 4/25/2024 12:04:45 AM EDT
[#9]
Quote History |
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Posted: 4/25/2024 6:41:52 AM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted: The denvermesh.org guys have been hard at it. I’m seeing a ton of nodes from that direction and most are about 60 miles away. I bet so with the elevation. Here in rolling hill country it’s a bit harder to get that distance. We trying tho! |
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Posted: 4/25/2024 7:59:43 PM EDT
[#11]
How would I go about searching for existing nodes? I know there won't be any around here because nobody does anything at all but sit on their couch and watch sports but maybe in other areas I travel to. If I get one is there a way to search for repeater nodes or something?
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Posted: 4/25/2024 8:02:20 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted: How would I go about searching for existing nodes? I know there won't be any around here because nobody does anything at all but sit on their couch and watch sports but maybe in other areas I travel to. If I get one is there a way to search for repeater nodes or something? Otherwise, only other way would be to have your own node and turn it on to listen and see if it receives anything. |
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Posted: 4/25/2024 8:23:06 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted: The first reply to this thread has the link to the mesh map, but they only show there if the owner enabled it to do so and connected it to the internet. Otherwise, only other way would be to have your own node and turn it on to listen and see if it receives anything. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: How would I go about searching for existing nodes? I know there won't be any around here because nobody does anything at all but sit on their couch and watch sports but maybe in other areas I travel to. If I get one is there a way to search for repeater nodes or something? Otherwise, only other way would be to have your own node and turn it on to listen and see if it receives anything. Thanks. |
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Posted: 4/25/2024 9:47:04 PM EDT
[#14]
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Posted: 4/25/2024 11:09:34 PM EDT
[#15]
Just showed up in my feed today.
 Chatterbox - Sending Off-Grid DM Securely (DIY LoRa Device) https://www.chatters.io/ |
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Posted: 5/12/2024 10:18:26 PM EDT
[#16]
So my solar node shut down the other day and didn’t know why.
Took it in the house and let it sit for two days and now it’s working fine. I’m assuming it had some moisture get inside question is how are y’all setting up your node boxes with ventilation holes on the bottom or sealed up tight? |
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Posted: 5/13/2024 4:30:03 AM EDT
[#17]
Weep hole on the bottom, just like an antenna balun enclosure.
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Posted: 5/13/2024 12:35:36 PM EDT
[#18]
 Meshtastic Problems - And Another Off Grid Messaging System |
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Posted: 5/13/2024 10:07:50 PM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted: So my solar node shut down the other day and didn’t know why. Took it in the house and let it sit for two days and now it’s working fine. I’m assuming it had some moisture get inside question is how are y’all setting up your node boxes with ventilation holes on the bottom or sealed up tight? with one of these it comes with a nut Vent |
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Posted: 5/19/2024 6:35:21 AM EDT
[#20]
We are actually seeing activity with these down in S FL. Local guy has several ham repeaters in the area has now started throwing up lora repeaters now and starting to see other devices showing up.
I set one up at my house at about 25 feet. My longest contact is just over 9 miles. |
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Posted: 5/19/2024 6:48:48 AM EDT
[#21]
Yep built networks - you need to set up at least one repeater at decent elevation. Do some thoughtful hill shed work to get good outcomes.
Mesh networks require people to work together to establish a network. Setting up repeaters at high points is the way to go, even with low gain antenna, have been able to get 16kms in city environment with no repeaters available, just high points. Links with ATAK very well if you use the meshtastic plugin or forwarder plugin - lots of small groups (climbers, hikers, small SAR groups on budgets using this). If you're on a budget this is the way to go. |
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Posted: 5/31/2024 1:10:36 PM EDT
[#22]
https://store.rokland.com/products/wismesh-pocket?variant=41832112029779
"Meet the WisMesh Pocket. WisMesh Pocket includes a hard exterior case designed by RAKwireless and Meshtastic's own QuantumShadow3D, and includes an OLED screen, a GPS radio, and a 3200 mAh rechargeable battery built-in to the case+ an external LoRa antenna, and internal bluetooth antenna."  WisMeshPocket - The New Ready to go Meshtastic Portable from RAK Wireless! |
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Posted: 6/19/2024 11:38:44 AM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Bought a Heltec V3 just to try out. Have had a few other nodes pop up around me off and on. Prolly will get another one of some sorts just to experiment further with. Meshtastic integration with ATAK has been a popular topic. |
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Posted: 6/19/2024 5:02:10 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Meshtastic integration with ATAK has been a popular topic. A poor man's MPU5 
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Posted: 6/19/2024 10:17:14 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted: A poor man's MPU5 I would argue it's the poor man's Plugnix. MPU5 from my understanding is more centered over MANET broadband and is invisible to ATAK/iTAK as the devices are simply clients on PANs using the native networking interfaces on the device. Similar concept to the Doodle Labs MeshRider wearable, the AisiaRF HaLoWAN devices and other homebrew 802.11 based solutions for MANET (playing with some TP-Link EAP-225 Outdoors for that personally right now and looking at the MeshRider's for work). That being said, I did order some RAK's to play with so it will be interesting to see how those end up. |
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Posted: 6/20/2024 4:55:17 PM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I would argue it's the poor man's Plugnix. MPU5 from my understanding is more centered over MANET broadband and is invisible to ATAK/iTAK as the devices are simply clients on PANs using the native networking interfaces on the device. The MPU5 has been used directly for ATAK since 2017. MPU5 is the radio hardware as well as the network fabric. A Meshtastic device is exactly the same thing. Plugnix is middleware that sits on the Android and does a bunch of stuff to enhance ATAK network connectivity. Like I wrote, a poor man's MPU5. |
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Posted: 6/21/2024 1:37:33 PM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted: That is not correct at all. The MPU5 has been used directly for ATAK since 2017. MPU5 is the radio hardware as well as the network fabric. A Meshtastic device is exactly the same thing. Plugnix is middleware that sits on the Android and does a bunch of stuff to enhance ATAK network connectivity. Like I wrote, a poor man's MPU5. Meshtasitc requires the middleware in the form of the plugin as well though to function with ATAK (and there is not a plugin for iTAK). The MPU5 should be able to create a LAN via 802.11 that either iTAK or ATAK see as the phone's native wireless networking interface to communicate via the TAK server over. If that functionality exists in Meshtasitc I haven't gotten there yet. |
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Posted: 6/21/2024 2:13:55 PM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Meshtasitc requires the middleware in the form of the plugin as well though to function with ATAK (and there is not a plugin for iTAK). The MPU5 should be able to create a LAN via 802.11 that either iTAK or ATAK see as the phone's native wireless networking interface to communicate via the TAK server over. If that functionality exists in Meshtasitc I haven't gotten there ye Otherwise yes, the MPU5's mesh radio network is like an adaptation of Wifi standards with some secret sauce mixed in. Meshtastic's protocol can't handle near the same throughput as that or even commercial Wifi, the data rate and bandwidth for LoRa/Meshtastic is way too small. When integrated with ATAK on a phone with the plugin, you can use Meshtastic to share positional data and small data packs like dropped pins on the map and text messages, but no sharing of stuff like images, video/streams, control of drones, voice communication, etc. like you can with a full-featured MANET type radio. |
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Posted: 6/21/2024 9:56:20 PM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryQuoted: The MPU5 has an on-board android computer, so it actually runs ATAK and all that on itself. The phone or tablet is only serving as the user interface device and terminal to control ATAK in the MPU5. Or you could run ATAK on the phone as well, either way depending on what you wanted to do. Otherwise yes, the MPU5's mesh radio network is like an adaptation of Wifi standards with some secret sauce mixed in. Meshtastic's protocol can't handle near the same throughput as that or even commercial Wifi, the data rate and bandwidth for LoRa/Meshtastic is way too small. When integrated with ATAK on a phone with the plugin, you can use Meshtastic to share positional data and small data packs like dropped pins on the map and text messages, but no sharing of stuff like images, video/streams, control of drones, voice communication, etc. like you can with a full-featured MANET type radio. That's what I was thinking. For what it's worth, Motorola's APX Next can also sideload ATAK but only if you are a federal customer (though with TAK's push into fire service there are many of us trying to convince Motorola to allow us to sideload ATAK-Civ). |
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Posted: 6/22/2024 2:06:59 PM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted:Meshtastic's protocol can't handle near the same throughput as that or even commercial Wifi, the data rate and bandwidth for LoRa/Meshtastic is way too small. When integrated with ATAK on a phone with the plugin, you can use Meshtastic to share positional data and small data packs like dropped pins on the map and text messages, but no sharing of stuff like images, video/streams, control of drones, voice communication, etc. like you can with a full-featured MANET type radio. |
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Posted: 7/10/2024 1:34:36 PM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted: https://store.rokland.com/products/wismesh-pocket?variant=41832112029779 "Meet the WisMesh Pocket. WisMesh Pocket includes a hard exterior case designed by RAKwireless and Meshtastic's own QuantumShadow3D, and includes an OLED screen, a GPS radio, and a 3200 mAh rechargeable battery built-in to the case+ an external LoRa antenna, and internal bluetooth antenna."  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyWYncggmcgI just got mine the other day, they're pretty slick! |
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Posted: 7/10/2024 11:50:24 PM EDT
[#32]
Picked up two heltec v3 boards today, seems pretty cool in the couple hours I e played with it.
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Posted: 7/11/2024 9:14:07 AM EDT
[#33]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I just got mine the other day, they're pretty slick! Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: https://store.rokland.com/products/wismesh-pocket?variant=41832112029779 "Meet the WisMesh Pocket. WisMesh Pocket includes a hard exterior case designed by RAKwireless and Meshtastic's own QuantumShadow3D, and includes an OLED screen, a GPS radio, and a 3200 mAh rechargeable battery built-in to the case+ an external LoRa antenna, and internal bluetooth antenna." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyWYncggmcgI just got mine the other day, they're pretty slick! Still waiting on my pre-order to arrive. How's the reception on yours? I have been reading a bit about folks working on antenna optimization.... |
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