Getting Started

A basic guide to getting started.

First, you need a radio.

We have some recommendations for what radios you might want to use, above.

Then, you need to flash the Meshcore firmware onto the radio.

This is the annoying part, really. I’ll add some step-by-step instructions here, soon.

There is an online tool for installing the MeshCore firmware here. This only works in Chrome-based web browsers (Chrome, recent version of Microsoft Edge, and Opera, for example).

Once you have the web flasher open, search for your radio by name, and install the firmware for either the “companion” or “repeater” role, as appropriate.

Then, you need to configure the radio to connect to the mesh.

If you want to connect to the local Meshcore network, you need to use the same radio settings as everyone else. Following the lead of the SoCal Mesh folks to the south of us, we’re using the following settings:

Frequency: 927.875

Bandwidth: 62.5 KHz

Spreading Factor: 7

Coding Rate: 5*

*Note: The coding rate doesn’t actually need to match the other nodes in the network. Higher-numbered coding rates will make your transmissions more-resistant to radio interference, at the cost of reduced transmisson speed. If you have trouble being heard, try increasing the coding rate.

Once your radio is configured, go to the Public channel, and say “hello”!

You should also add the #sbcountymesh channel, so you can chat with your neighbors