I've jumped into the Meshtastic community and I am loving it! Meshtastic is an open-source project that enables you to use inexpensive LoRa radios as a long-range off grid communication platform in areas without existing or reliable comms infrastructure.

I started w/ two Heltec v3 nodes; they tether to a phone or a web app and are fantastic little devices - however, I want something that is standalone. I don't trust using a cool, encrypted, project while having to use a platform that.... isn't, to send the messages.

So, I've ordered a LilyGo T-Deck which is a device that comes w/ a screen and a blackberry styled keyboard. I'm going to pair it w/ a 5000Mah battery and a GPS module (you can send GPS info w/ messages, or not.) and 3d print a case @ the local library... stoked to get a fully standalone device.

Any other meshers in the crowd? Its a killer project if not...



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--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
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Hello paulie420!

** On Tuesday 07.05.24 - 22:47, paulie420 wrote to All:

I've jumped into the Meshtastic community and I am loving it! Meshtastic is an open-source project that enables you to use inexpensive LoRa radios as a long-range off grid communication platform in areas without existing or reliable comms infrastructure.

Sounds interesting. Are you getting messages delivered
successfully?

It seems that the message delivery to far away destinations
would be hit 'n' miss. It really depends on having other LoRa
radios in the area, no?

It is interesting that encryption is supported and a HAM
license is not required.

"Unlicensed radio networks: LoRaWAN works on unlicensed radio
networks, and as LoRa devices and network deployments grow, you
may experience interference on that frequency.

"Less secure: The LoRa network layer and the application layer
are generated from the same root key and random number and are
not isolated from each other. Therefore, there are risks of
data privacy leakage and data tampering due to private key
leakage.

Regarding the latter.. I guess you wanna keep comms simple with
little to no personal information.

I started w/ two Heltec v3 nodes; they tether to a phone or a web app and
are fantastic little devices - however, I want something that is standalone. I don't trust using a cool, encrypted, project while having to use a
platform that.... isn't, to send the messages.

The Heltec isn't good enough to send/receive encrypted
messages?

So, I've ordered a LilyGo T-Deck which is a device that comes w/ a screen
and a blackberry styled keyboard.

I think it *is* a Blackberry Q10 part!

Any other meshers in the crowd? Its a killer project if not...

Let us know how it goes.
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: End Of The Line BBS - endofthelinebbs.com (700:100/16)

I've jumped into the Meshtastic community and I am loving it! Meshtastic an open-source project that enables you to use inexpensive LoRa radios a long-range off grid communication platform in areas without existing or reliable comms infrastructure.

Sounds interesting. Are you getting messages delivered
successfully?

Yes; but locally (Over LoRa) and long-range using...

It seems that the message delivery to far away destinations
would be hit 'n' miss. It really depends on having other LoRa
radios in the area, no?

So you can enable use of an MQTT server; either your own, or the Meshtastic project one, to enable long-range messaging over the net. So - if I were building out a project for ENCRYPTED ONLY, messages to only people that were within my threat model, I'd put up enough nodes to cover the area needed... and/or, join other nodes in some larger network like a city (Portland) or rural area that I were interested in communicating with. (Willits/Ukiah, CA - Wildfire comms... in 2019 there was a huge wildfire there and they lost cellular comms; they now cover the 50mi area w/ Meshtastic and over 500 nodes.)

It is interesting that encryption is supported and a HAM
license is not required.

Yea; in the U.S., Meshtastic happens on the 918 band - and it does offer a lot of cool features w/o the need to be... licensed. Its just not that long-range, which is why it can get around those issues IMO - when technology surpasses yesteryear regulations, it inspires ... new regulations? UGH.

"Unlicensed radio networks: LoRaWAN works on unlicensed radio
networks, and as LoRa devices and network deployments grow, you
may experience interference on that frequency.

"Less secure: The LoRa network layer and the application layer
are generated from the same root key and random number and are
not isolated from each other. Therefore, there are risks of
data privacy leakage and data tampering due to private key
leakage.

Regarding the latter.. I guess you wanna keep comms simple with
little to no personal information.

I trust 256bit encryption... and there isn't much leak issue that *I* can see w/ the platform - but I am a rookie here. Everything that I've researched and inspected, however, looks great for my threat model.

I started w/ two Heltec v3 nodes; they tether to a phone or a web app
I don't trust using a cool, encrypted, project while having to use a platform that.... isn't, to send the messages.

The Heltec isn't good enough to send/receive encrypted
messages?

It is - just that you have to tether the Heltec v3, LilyGo T-Beam and other devices to an Android or iPhone device - its THAT device that I don't trust. And while its just an app that runs on it, I don't trust that Apple or Android has our best interests at heart; so I prefer a standalone unit that doesn't have to rely on a phone to do the business end stuff....

So, I've ordered a LilyGo T-Deck which is a device that comes w/ a scree and a blackberry styled keyboard.

I think it *is* a Blackberry Q10 part!

It is; I'm going to pair the LilyGo T-Deck w/ an antenna, a GPS module, battery and a nice case to hold it all together - for a complete standalone node.... or 3.

Any other meshers in the crowd? Its a killer project if not...

Let us know how it goes.

Will do - hoping you'll order a couple!



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--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbS >> 20ForBeers.com:1337 (700:100/71)

Hello paulie420!

Let us know how it goes.

Will do - hoping you'll order a couple!

It seems to be a relatively new hobby out there too. According
to the meshmap.net, UK seems to the have the highest activity.

Maybe there *are* others, but they just don't chime in to the
mesh map to publicize themselves? Dunno.
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: End Of The Line BBS - endofthelinebbs.com (700:100/16)

Hello paulie420!

Let us know how it goes.

Will do - hoping you'll order a couple!

It seems to be a relatively new hobby out there too. According
to the meshmap.net, UK seems to the have the highest activity.

Maybe there *are* others, but they just don't chime in to the
mesh map to publicize themselves? Dunno.

Just got my LilyGo T-Deck tonight... about to build a standalone node - fun fun fun.



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--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbS >> 20ForBeers.com:1337 (700:100/71)

Hello paulie420!

Just got my LilyGo T-Deck tonight... about to build a standalone node - fun fun fun.

Yes.. I saw that on the element/matrix tqwnet channel. I'm
surprised it arrived in custom packaging. I thought "project"
boards like that would just arrive in plain anti-static bags
and no branding outerboxes.

Don't you still need an actual radio and an external antenna
for this T-Deck?
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: End Of The Line BBS - endofthelinebbs.com (700:100/16)

Just got my LilyGo T-Deck tonight... about to build a standalone node - fun fun.

Yes.. I saw that on the element/matrix tqwnet channel. I'm
surprised it arrived in custom packaging. I thought "project"
boards like that would just arrive in plain anti-static bags
and no branding outerboxes.

LilyGo is a great company from China, so their products come from way over there - they package all their stuff in these types of boxes and I really like it. They arrive protected and in perfect shape.

They sell several Meshtastic devices, but also other killer (cheap) hobby projects too - a killer macro keyboard (4 keys & a rotary knob), a nice rotary knob with push button for controlling various things, several displays that can be coded to display... anything. Here are a couple companies that I really love for project stuffs;

https://www.lilygo.cc/
https://m5stack.com/
https://store.rakwireless.com/



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--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbS >> 20ForBeers.com:1337 (700:100/71)