Latest

25
May
LILYGO T-Beam running Meshtastic in client mode on battery power

Meshtastic Node Roles: Why Most of Us Should Be on CLIENT_MUTE

The role setting is probably the most misunderstood configuration option in Meshtastic. Most people leave it at the default, assume
6 min read
21
May
8x32 WS2812B LED matrix scrolling NEPAMesh messages in green

I Built a Glowing Sign That Scrolls the Mesh (Because I Had the Parts and a Free Saturday)

Boredom, spare parts, and the NEPAMesh MQTT broker. The result scrolls every mesh message across 256 WS2812B LEDs in real time. 3D printed case, open source firmware, full build guide on GitHub.
6 min read
20
May
Solar-powered Meshtastic node installed on a rooftop, running indefinitely off a small panel and battery

The Solar Node Build: Permanent, Off-Grid, and Surprisingly Boring to Maintain

Last January, a WisBlock-based node on our network went dark for about two weeks. Not because it failed, because
10 min read
19
May
Aerial view of Blue Mountain and Kittatinny Ridge in Pennsylvania showing the ridge-and-valley terrain that defines RF propagation across NEPA

Node Placement in NEPA: Why Elevation Wins and How to Pick a Spot Before You Climb

The most common question after "what board should I buy" is "where should I put it."
8 min read
17
May
Meshtastic node being assembled in a weatherproof enclosure for outdoor deployment

Putting a Node Outside: Enclosures, Weatherproofing, and Not Destroying Your Hardware

So you built an antenna. Now you need to put it somewhere useful, which means outside, which means the elements
15 min read
16
May
NanoVNA pocket-sized vector network analyzer

Testing Your Antenna with a NanoVNA: What the Numbers Mean and What to Do About Them

How to calibrate a NanoVNA, connect your 915 MHz antenna, and read what the SWR graph is telling you. Covers homebrew and purchased antennas, what good looks like, and what to do when it isn't.
5 min read
15
May
NanoVNA handheld vector network analyzer, the essential RF test tool for Meshtastic antenna builders

RF Test Equipment for the Meshtastic Builder: What's Worth It and What to Do With It

NanoVNA, SA6 spectrum analyzer, TinySA Ultra, RTL-SDR, and a dummy load. What each instrument is for, what to watch out for, and how to use them on a Meshtastic build. Contributed by Storm017.
5 min read
12
May
Meshtastic node based on the FakeTec board with OLED display, one of many hardware options for joining the mesh

Meshtastic Hardware Buyer's Guide: What to Buy, What to Skip, and Why It Depends

The question gets asked in the Discord at least twice a week: "What board should I get?" The
11 min read
05
May
NEPAMesh logo

Build a Better Antenna for Less than $10 and an Afternoon

The rubber duck antenna that shipped with your Meshtastic node is not your friend. I know. It looks official. It
13 min read
30
Apr
NEPAMesh propagation shadow map showing signal coverage across NEPA

April on the Mesh: 337 Nodes, a Shadow Map, and a Bot That Actually Talks Back

April was productive. Unreasonably productive, honestly, for a community of people who spend their free time pointing antennas at mountains
5 min read