Anyone else on Meshtastic?

[Phil_G]

I can see maybe 25 nodes from home with just a stubby aerial, and I live below the surrounding ground level!
I'm using Heltec Lora32 V3 modules: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005467772927.html

[Wayne_H]

Phil, besides just fiddling do you have a specific application for it? e.g. home automation, security system and/or surveillance, etc??
Does the fact that you can see 25+ other "users" mean it's an open system? Password protected?

[Phil_G]

Phil, besides just fiddling do you have a specific application for it?

Nah, fiddling is where its at, but come the Zombie Apocalypse and collapse of civilisation it does give reliable off-grid comms to distant survivors who may possibly have sandwiches and Lego bricks

Does the fact that you can see 25+ other "users" mean it's an open system? Password protected?

Its both Wayne, private 'direct messages' and open broadcast channels, so you could call on the broadcast channel, and once you've established contact, shift to a private DM before some other hungry Lego hunter picks up your broadcast, finds the stash and builds a model of the Space Shuttle before you can get to it

By the way its not an Amateur Radio thing, anyone can join in, you dont need to be a Ham, you dont even need to like Lego (as if, eh?)
868Mhz is an ISM band much like 2.4g, open to all

[Wayne_H]

...but come the Zombie Apocalypse and collapse of civilisation it does give reliable off-grid comms to distant survivors who may possibly have sandwiches and Lego bricks

Those zombies can be pretty clever Phil - remember the Reevers in Firefly!?! They've found sandwich eaters & Lego builders to be very tasty

[Phil_G]

Its only a matter of time ...

Took my setup to high ground and sat it on top of the van - loads of nodes visible, furthest was Derby (60 miles) but since every node is a repeater in a mesh, long distances will be less necessary as more nodes appear. Its catching on really fast

[RON]

Just ordered mine Phil,
So hopefully there'll be another node on the list
PS, Will it be "Node Zero"

Ron

[Flynn]

Ummmm... For me it's 218km to the nearest node with a place called 'mont-dore' LOS between us! The disadvantage of living out in the sticks!

Not for me methinks! I'll look again in six months.