MeshCore Radio Network

Off-grid 915 MHz mesh radio, solar repeaters, and localized communication.

Why MeshCore?

I used to run Meshtastic around here, but I ended up moving the regional backbone over to MeshCore. Standard flood-routing protocols can get messy when every single device keeps rebroadcasting every packet, causing heavy channel congestion as more nodes pop up. MeshCore uses dedicated repeaters to route packets across up to 64 hops clean and fast.

By putting fixed solar repeaters up on elevated spots around town, client nodes can stay lightweight and low-power while maintaining solid coverage across the area.

Solar Repeater Setup

I currently run three off-grid solar repeaters stationed around town to keep the regional mesh up and running:

Repeater 01 & 02: Two Elecrow ThinkNode M6 units (nRF52840 / SX1262). These run off integrated 6W solar panels and internal LiPo batteries in outdoor enclosures, providing solid coverage across the valley and key corridors.
Repeater 03: A custom build using a Heltec T114 paired with a 25W solar panel and a external charge controller. This one was built with extra battery and solar capacity to easily survive long, overcast winter stretches in Atlantic Canada.

Mobile & Companion Nodes

Outside of the fixed repeaters, I also have a 915 MHz antenna mounted on my VW Taos so I can stay connected into the mesh network while driving around town.

For field use, the nRF52840 hardware stack (used in the T114 and ThinkNode M6) is awesome on power. It draws microamps during sleep, giving incredible battery life compared to older ESP32 setups. Next up, I plan to start pushing localized weather updates and telemetry from the WeatherB station out onto the mesh.