Hardware: a reference Meshtastic node #22

New Issue

2026-10-05T20:07:15Z

twisla commented

2026-10-05 20:07:15 +00:00

What

Get a second LoRa device running stock Meshtastic, and set it up as the known-good end for M4 and M5.

Why

M3's listening hour (outside, on battery, LongFast) heard no packet from the six nodes known within 30 km, and the plan had a rule for that (M3, Q104): a reference node becomes a requirement for M4. Without one there's nothing to receive, and later nothing to tell us whether a failure is ours.

What's known

Any cheap ESP32 or nRF52 board with an SX1262 does: a Heltec V3 or V4 (four of the six nodes near here are Heltecs), a LilyGo T-Beam or T-Echo, a RAK WisBlock. EU868.
Stock Meshtastic, flashed from flasher.meshtastic.org, configured from the phone app or the meshtastic Python CLI over USB.
This Cardputer's own noise costs about 15 dB of sensitivity (#20), so the node should start a metre away and move out from there.

To do

Choose and buy the board, with an 868 MHz antenna.
Flash stock firmware; note its version, node number and names.
Region EU_868, preset LongFast, the default Channel and key; then a second Channel with a private key, for testing custom Channels.
Check the LoRa Scanner hears it: the header decoded, RSSI and SNR at 1 m, 10 m and from the next room.
Record a Capture of each packet type it sends on its own (node info, position, telemetry) and of text sent from the phone app, and keep them as test fixtures.

## What Get a second LoRa device running stock Meshtastic, and set it up as the known-good end for M4 and M5. ## Why M3's listening hour (outside, on battery, LongFast) heard no packet from the six nodes known within 30 km, and the plan had a rule for that (M3, Q104): a reference node becomes a requirement for M4. Without one there's nothing to receive, and later nothing to tell us whether a failure is ours. ## What's known - Any cheap ESP32 or nRF52 board with an SX1262 does: a Heltec V3 or V4 (four of the six nodes near here are Heltecs), a LilyGo T-Beam or T-Echo, a RAK WisBlock. EU868. - Stock Meshtastic, flashed from flasher.meshtastic.org, configured from the phone app or the `meshtastic` Python CLI over USB. - This Cardputer's own noise costs about 15 dB of sensitivity (#20), so the node should start a metre away and move out from there. ## To do 1. Choose and buy the board, with an 868 MHz antenna. 2. Flash stock firmware; note its version, node number and names. 3. Region EU_868, preset LongFast, the default Channel and key; then a second Channel with a private key, for testing custom Channels. 4. Check the LoRa Scanner hears it: the header decoded, RSSI and SNR at 1 m, 10 m and from the next room. 5. Record a Capture of each packet type it sends on its own (node info, position, telemetry) and of text sent from the phone app, and keep them as test fixtures. ## Related `docs/milestones/M3.md` (Q104 and the listening hour), #20.

twisla added this to the M4 Mesh receive milestone 2026-10-05 20:07:15 +00:00

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2026-10-05 20:07:15 +00:00