VashonMesh
Connecting Vashon & Maury Islanders
...with Local Mesh Radio
Networks
Meshtastic & MeshCore & Reticulum in a Nutshell
Friends & family easily radio text messages throughout Puget Sound-even when cell towers/internet are down.
Dive into MeshCore & Meshtastic & Reticulum—the dynamic trio of mesh radio networking!
Using affordable LoRa hardware:
- MeshCore uses repeaters to power a robust Salish Sea region-wide mesh.
- Meshtastic helps small teams communicate without repeaters.
- Reticulum connects otherwise independent networks.
They are a natural, scalable solution for keeping Vashon & Maury islanders connected!
The Result? Basic communication for all.
Encrypted texts from Vashon can reach to both Vancouver's and Boise—hopping through a community-built chain of repeaters.
No cell towers, no internet, no monthly bills. Just your family, a $40 radio, and a network powered by your neighbors.
WARNING: Look elsewhere (for now) if you want to send more than limited sensor data and ~200
character texts!
Latest News
ESP-NOW: Espressif's Fast Short-Range Wireless Protocol
What is ESP-NOW? How it works, when it arrived, whether it can support person-to-person chat, and how it compares to Semtech's LoRa.
New Firmware Alleviates Repeater Name Collisions
MeshCore Firmware v 1.14.0
Great New LoRa Chip #2 - The LR2021
MeshCore should be able to support LR2021 since it is supported by RadioLib!
LoRa = Long Range Radio
LoRa is Semtech's alternative to Wi-Fi & Bluetooth.
- LoRa can send simple, encrypted messages over long distances, reaching 2 km in cities & 10+ km in the country.
- Mesh technology implies using repeaters to relay messages many hops away, from Vashon to Vancouver, BC, Boise, and Corvallis - without cell towers or internet!
- LoRa license-free radios are widely available for $30-100.
- LoRa defines how bits are sent over the air, but not routed. It uses the same ISM spectrum as baby monitors, garage openers & thermostats.
LoRa vs Wi-Fi, Cellular & Bluetooth
Tiny SX1262 chip with dedicated microcontroller, LoRa radio &
antenna connection: only ~$5!
Software for LoRa Hardware
Various software leverages cheap LoRa hardware. Popular options:
- LoRaWAN / Things Network: Great for sending sensor data from "smart" farms, cities & businesses
to the cloud.
LoRaWAN offers diverse commercial solutions, while the Things Network is community-driven. Neither is ideal for community meshes. - Meshtastic: First on the scene, free, open-source & very popular. Every device repeats every message (flood routing): great for SAR or wilderness teams but dense urban networks get overloaded.
-
MeshCore: Uses identical hardware as (but different software than) Meshtastic. Routes messages via dedicated repeaters (path-based, not flooding). In areas with repeaters, it handles more traffic & routes messages much further than Meshtastic.
MeshCore is Vashon's focus!
- Reticulum: A powerful open-source networking stack supporting LoRa and alternativeconnections like WiFi, Packet Radio & the internet. Reticulum focuses on allowing otherwise independent networks (like Meshtastic & MeshCore's separate regional networks) to interoperate naturally.
Get on the Air
You can be on the mesh in an afternoon. The 5-step journey:
Almost any Meshtastic device will work for MeshCore. See all supported devices, and what software is available at https://flash.meshcore.dev/ for a current list of compatible devices.
