jkpg-mesh blog

Från mjölk till Meshtastic

Medlemmarna i Jönköping Meshtastic-gruppen har haft fullt upp med att experimentera med solcellsdrivna noder. Nyligen delade Gabriel (SA7GAM) med sig av en riktigt inspirerande – och smått oväntad – upplevelse. Han inleder sin berättelse med orden: "Handla aldrig på ICA Maxi... eller jo, gör det – men var beredd på att bli Meshtastic-inspirerad." Här är hans historia.

Martins bygge med utsikt över Jönköping

Vår communitymedlem Martin (SM7UVT) har nyligen byggt en solcellsdriven Meshtastic-nod med målet att placera den vid Ekhagen Östra, med utsikt över Jönköping. Projektet har gått igenom flera iterationer, med hjälp från andra medlemmar i Discord-communityn.

When It Comes to Antenna Gain, Is Bigger Better?

If you've spent any time exploring Meshtastic or other radio-based communication networks, you've probably come across the term "antenna gain." It's one of those technical-sounding phrases that can seem a bit mysterious if you're just getting into the world of radios and antennas. But understanding it—at least at a basic level—can really help you get better range and performance out of your setup.

Everything LoRa (And Why I Chose Meshtastic)

Over the past year or so, I’ve been diving into the world of LoRa, and it’s been a bit like peeling an onion — layer after layer of interesting stuff, each more surprising than the last. I figured it was time to share a bit of my research and what I’ve learned from the different technologies. As you read through this, you’ll see this is by no means a thesis or a doctoral paper — it’s purely to show that there is more to LoRa than just Meshtastic, and maybe also spark a bit of interest in this technology. At the end, I’ll also explain why I ended up choosing Meshtastic.

Testing My Base Node with a Python Sidekick

After getting my first two Heltec V3 units, I was eager to see what these little devices could really do. I set one up as a base node at home and took the other on a walk, powered by a USB power bank and connected to my phone. As I walked around the house sending messages, I kept an eye out for that little tick mark to confirm delivery. It worked... kind of. But it didn’t give me the kind of feedback I really wanted.

Things improved a bit when I connected the base node to a Raspberry Pi and accessed the Meshtastic web messaging app. At least now, when I got back to my workstation, I could review the messages that had come in. A definite step forward — but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I could do better.

That’s when the idea for Mesh_Helper was born. It’s not a replacement for a friend helping out on the other end, but if you’re on your own, it’s a solid stand-in. This post is about why I built it, what it does, and how it’s already been useful in my own experiments.

Is There a “Real” Application for Meshtastic?

Being a long-time enthusiast of radios and radio communication, I was genuinely excited when I first heard about Meshtastic. I immediately started reading up on the technology and went hunting for that first device to buy. Between placing the order and waiting for delivery, I was already out on a high point with my laptop, an SDR, and a self-made ground plane quarter-wave antenna. I was ready to begin this journey.

I wanted to see all the activity already happening. I wanted to start chatting with the world... but what I quickly realized was: there wasn’t a flood of messages. In fact, I might have been sitting in an 868 MHz RF pit. Then came another realization: there's a limitation on the duty cycle. And—well—I already have Discord. Why would people want to chat on Meshtastic?

Maybe this isn’t everything I dreamed it would be. So... now what?