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If you have strong opinions about #Mesh networking, please let me know.

I keep seeing things about #MeshCore and #Meshtastic and I am now thoroughly confused.

If I want to set up #LoRa messagingfor emergency / fun usage, which should I be looking at?

(Looking for people who use them - not just googled speculation, thanks!)

#Meshtastic #lora #mesh #meshcore

Terence Eden reshared this.

in reply to Terence Eden

Rachel Lawson
Rachel Lawson
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I’m still to work out the difference between meshtastic (the first one?) and meshcore.
Do they even speak to each other?
in reply to Terence Eden

Rachel Lawson
Rachel Lawson
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that’s the overall feeling I get, too. I get I just need to buy a device and see
in reply to Terence Eden

boxly
boxly
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meshcore -> better for highly congested city centres. Meshtastic -> better for long range rural
in reply to Terence Eden

boxly
boxly
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I mainly use meshtastic, I'm out in the countryside so being able to bounce off more repeaters is beneficial. The good thing is though that most hardware will run both, you can refresh via usb webserial in seconds. I'm building a meshtastic hexpansion for EMF this year too hopefully!
in reply to Terence Eden

Krahabors
Krahabors
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Meshcore.
It actually works;
It is actually open, does not belong to branding fanatics.
in reply to Krahabors

Terence Eden
Terence Eden
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thanks. Any particular device you recommend?
in reply to Terence Eden

Hans-Cees 🌳🌳🤢🦋🐈🐈🍋🍋🐝🐜
Hans-Cees 🌳🌳🤢🦋🐈🐈🍋🍋🐝🐜
• •
you have devices aimed at running of grid as a repeater. Then you need a low power device. heltec t114 will do, there are many more of course
If you have a device on constant USB power, or battery that should last a day heltecv3 or v4 are fine.
heltec v4 in 3d printed thingy with GPS and battery
heltec t114 with battery was glued to window on attack
This entry was edited (1 day ago)
in reply to Terence Eden

Krahabors
Krahabors
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I do not have anything new or fancy, I'm sure there will be better recommendations.
in reply to Krahabors

Terence Eden
Terence Eden
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I'm not interested in new or fancy. I just like tried and tested.
in reply to Terence Eden

Krahabors
Krahabors
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DIY combination of nrf52840 with sx1262, usually called faketec, is good enough for me. Even without common PCB, wired dead-bug style:)
There are factory made versions of that combination now and a lot of newer, probably better options.
in reply to Terence Eden

Daniel Durrans
Daniel Durrans
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In the UK I went with MeshCore as the network is busier and has more chatter. Mesttastic feels a bit dead (in my area).

I would hesitate to consider it for emergency use. I guess if there is nothing else, but it feels like there are other alternatives (e.g. just using a basic radio for voice) that would be better.

It is fun though.

in reply to Daniel Durrans

Terence Eden
Terence Eden
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ta! Mind if I ask what kit you're using?
in reply to Terence Eden

Daniel Durrans
Daniel Durrans
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In the loft running as a relay:

Heltec V3 from Amazon
Case from Etsy that looks 3D printed
Antenna from ThePiHut (thepihut.com/products/lora-ant…)
Powered using PoE over ethernet plugged into a PoE to USB-C splitter. No networking over the ethernet, just a way to get power into the loft.

Client device is a T1000-E (thepihut.com/products/sensecap…) connected over bluetooth to my iPhone.

The firmware running on the relay is super stable. The T1000-E firmware is not as stable and I often have to reboot it every 2 or so days.


LoRa Antenna with Pigtail - 868MHz Black

This is a 170mm black 868MHz 50ohm antenna kit tested and recommended by iLabs for use with their LoRa products, such as the Challenger RP2040 LoRa. They can also be used with any other LoRa board requiring an 868MHz U.FL antenna solution.
The Pi Hut
in reply to Terence Eden

deNiRo
deNiRo
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I use Meshcore in The Netherlands because it’s a much more community and network, I started with two Heltec v3’s that are USB powered and affordable, as most nodes they support both MT and MC. One is a repeater the other a companion, later I added an additional companion that is battery powered and mobile (Sensecap T1000-E). Initially I didn’t get much response on either, so I added a large external antenna.
in reply to Terence Eden

Matt Copperwaite
Matt Copperwaite
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I've been looking recently too, and found it confusing.
I wanted a device I could leave in my loft and control with a phone, but also take around to (hopefully) EMFCamp.
amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0F1CYWVL…
I'm planning on getting this pair to split with my dad who lives a few miles away and see how it goes.
I found meshmap.net useful for seeing what was nearby.
This entry was edited (1 day ago)
in reply to Terence Eden

Resilience Theatre
Resilience Theatre
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For me it has been Meshtastic. I am not building city wide infrastructure. I need close proximity communication with self forming. And meshcore is not fully open.
in reply to Resilience Theatre

Terence Eden
Terence Eden
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ha! I've just had someone say go with MeshCore because Meshtastic isn't fully open 😆
in reply to Terence Eden

Resilience Theatre
Resilience Theatre
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I believe firmware is GPLv3 for Meshtastic. Tricky topic agree, but some features were paid only on Meshcore?
in reply to Terence Eden

Frederik Braun �
Frederik Braun �
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my experience from the Berlin mesh. the berlin meshtastic network is overcrowded with badly positioned devices and the routing algorithm essentially passes messages into sinkholes. Reschability snd reliability are bad not despite but because of the many devices. Default forwarding off and limiting it to tower/rooftop locations would probably be better than every device meshing. 1/2
in reply to Terence Eden

Russell Garner
Russell Garner
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@vaurora posted something good recently, apologies if you've already seen mstdn.social/@vaurora/11590434…

(and appears to be giving a talk, hope that one makes it online at some point mstdn.social/@vaurora/11591532… )

Valerie Aurora 🇺🇦 (@vaurora@mstdn.social)

I'll be giving a talk on how to start your own Internet Resiliency Club at #Koppelting on Sunday January 25 at 12:15 in Amersfoort. Hope to see you all there! https://koppelting.nl/en/meetkoppel26/lineup#id696abc2eb672a
Valerie Aurora 🇺🇦 (Mastodon 🐘)

Valerie Aurora 🇺🇦

2026-01-16 10:39:12


I updated the hardware recommendations for LoRa radios for Internet Resiliency Clubs, based on our testing of new devices available.

- More money than time: SenseCap Solar P-1 Pro
- More time than money: Heltec V4
- Everyday carry or less technical: SenseCap Card Tracker 1000-E
- Hacking/development and portable: LILYGO T-Echo

bowshock.nl/irc/#which-lora-ra…


Start your own Internet Resiliency Club – Bow Shock Systems Consulting

bowshock.nl

@Valerie Aurora 🇺🇦
in reply to Terence Eden

Markus
Markus
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Of course there are technical details that could be considered when chosing between #meshcore and #meshtastic. My opinion is: If you want to communicate or use it for emergency, check what the majority in your area is using.
Even if you chose the best technology, its not much worth if you're the only one 😀
#Meshtastic #meshcore
in reply to Terence Eden

Markus
Markus
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Keep in mind that many hardware devices could run #meshcore as well as #meshtastic. So you could try one mesh and still switch if you revise your decision.
#Meshtastic #meshcore
in reply to Terence Eden

julf
julf
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MC is good for a pretty much static infrastructure if you have reliable and stable repeaters and want to reach long distances. MT is better for ad-hoc networks for a limited area (a town or an event for example) where you can't rely on semi-permanent repeaters.
in reply to Terence Eden

jtonline
jtonline
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I've so far stuck to meshtastic because it seems more, well, meshy. My use case doesn't include joining a wider local mesh so it's exactly what I need.

If your use case is joining a wider local mesh then you have to go with the (local) crowd, which you'll probably need a non-mesh network to find out about. Probably Facebook but who knows!

I'm currently using Sensecap and RAK card devices which work pretty well.

This entry was edited (1 day ago)
in reply to Terence Eden

Ben Stewart
Ben Stewart
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I'm much in the same boat with similar intentions so no real world experience yet.

I've got my eye on a couple of Heltec v4 devboards. v4 because they support gnss which is interesting for a few 'fun' use cases I have with friends and while it seems Meshcore is the way to go in NL as its more widely used, I understand incan switch to meshtastic pretty easily using same hardware.

Heltec appear to have decent shipping methods from their own site but I've seen similar if not exactly the same ones on usual suspect large online retail shopfronts.

in reply to Terence Eden

Fredrik
Fredrik
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I would go with meshtastic because of the bigger reach in terms of community. Meshcore has cool functions, but it's not that big yet. BUT! Since they devices are pretty cheap, especially if ordered bare from china, why not both?
in reply to Terence Eden

Taylor Hay
Taylor Hay
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Neither are actually open source, I used Meshtastic for a year. Great for cities / festivals / mucking around.
Been using meshcore the last year or so.
Meshcore is MUCH more reliable for permanent setups, and usable for long range. We have like 200 meshcore nodes covering our whole state. Regularly messaging people hundreds of km away 12-14 hops.
This would be impossible on Meshtastic.
in reply to Terence Eden

Jon "The Nice Guy" Spriggs
Jon "The Nice Guy" Spriggs
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from my (limited) experience, Meshtastic is better for telemetry-sending, and messaging is a side effect that people have grabbed hold of. As a result short-range comms work well. Meshcore is designed to be more of a message relaying system. Meshcore also has much longer range because of the relays. The cluster I participate in reaches from Hull to Isle of Wight.
in reply to Terence Eden

Pini
Pini
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I've attended this seession a few days ago: techwerkers.nl/en/events/2026-…

It was recorded.

They recommend MeshCore over Meshtastic.


What if the Internet goes down? Intro to mesh network communication

Would you like more autonomy at work? Better pay? More time off? Work remotely? Less burnout? Make it happen! Join forces with fellow tech workers in and beyond The Netherlands to get the workplace changes you want.
Tech Workers Coalition
in reply to Terence Eden

mossman
mossman
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I don't know if Benn Jordan has a presence on Mastodon, but I'm sure he'd have something to say on the subject. ..

youtube.com/watch?v=W_F4rEaRdu…

- YouTube

Disfruta de los vídeos y la música que te gustan, sube material original y comparte el contenido con tus amigos, tu familia y el resto del mundo en YouTube.
www.youtube.com
in reply to Terence Eden

Bas Langenberg
Bas Langenberg
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I'm on #meshcore because that looks to be more active in my area. (Netherlands)

I sarted with 25 euro investment for a helltec v3 (3.2 iirc) and I learned a ton about wireless signals already. I am planning to build a repeater to get the network more stable and put that out on the balcony where I live.

I'm having fun but it's still very new. It feels like proper emergency comms are still with the hams, but then I need to get a license.

Highly subjective takes, all of this. 😊Learning

#meshcore
in reply to Terence Eden

Éric
Éric
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I saw a conférence about Reticulum (at CCC IIRC) and it looked very interesting, I don't know a lot about mesh so I have no adive but I would compare it to meshmatic
in reply to Terence Eden

icecarrotpig
icecarrotpig
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I prefer Meshtastic, but my local mesh switched to Meshcore. MC is not as good. It doesn't do as much. If you turn on a new node, it takes days to populated with the mesh nodes and half of them are unreliable links. I wasn't involved in the vote to switch.

Meshtastic has sensor integration and some simple stuff to get started. It's useful for IoT stuff. It quickly finds local nodes even factory fresh.

Both apps are quirky. Only one of them is open source.

in reply to Terence Eden

KawaiiPunk
KawaiiPunk
• •

this is the best talk on Meshtastic I found

media.ccc.de/v/38c3-hacker-s-g…

Meshtastic very active in my area.

Hacker's Guide to Meshtastic: Off-Grid, Encrypted LoRa Meshnets for Cheap!

Beginners can now create off-grid, encrypted mesh networks for cheap, with applications in emergency communication, sensor monitoring, an...
media.ccc.de
This entry was edited (18 hours ago)
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