Automated Range Test with Meshtastic

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This is the 4th a final video in the series on building your own solar powered Meshtastic device using the WisBlock platform. In this video, we'll be doing a range test, but in a different more automated way from what I typically see others do.
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[@guatagel2454]

I have a few systems with batteries. I put the system to sleep under certain battery level, and I only wake it up to measure the battery level. If the battery is still low due to cloudy days, I put the system to sleep again. That way I'm sure that I have enough battery until a sunny day.

[@natecus4926]

That is a really good idea

[@propagating-radio]

Dude, this was a great video. Thanks for sharing this. Just subscribed!

[@sussudio]

How did you get your Pixel 6 to be shown on screen for your video? I would love to be able to VNC or remote desktop into my Pixel 6 from a computer like that. I have never found a solution and would love to hear how you do that.

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Tool called scrcpy

[@andrewborntrager7909]

If you're going to build a box to house everything, you could have provisions for an army of 18650's in parallel to give you proper voltage, with , of course an appropriate charge controller. A relay circuit to engage and disengage the battery while charging could also be built with solder wires coming from where the single 18650 goes. Some voltage/soc monitor could have output as to where the battery power would go per the relay state.

[@FalconWing1813]

Thanks for the video , very cool stuff!

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Sure thing! Glad you liked it!

[@WolfPackGaming66]

Please correct me if im wrong, but the stationary device can connect 2 other LoRa devices that couldnt connect to each other?

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Yes, it will act as a repeater.

[@WolfPackGaming66]

@@The_Comms_Channel thank you

[@andrewtitcombe8378]

Regarding waking after a low power solar charge situation. Not sure if Meshtastic implement this in their code. But i use Heltec modules. And my code checks battery voltage down to 3.6v and then will put the device into a 8hr sleep. when it wakes the first thing it will do is check voltage is above 3.7v. If not will go and sleep for another 8hrs.The important thing is not to let it get into a brown out situation where it is not preparing a long sleep properly. And tries to then power up without enough power to complete a clean boot before browning out and crashing again. As this just deep discharges the battery and the device never recovers unless the solar panel is large enough to power the device at the same time while trying to charge a dead battery. If the panel was that over sized with a large battery in the first place then this situation would not happen anyway.

[@andrewtitcombe8378]

I also range test by sending the received SNR and long lat of the mobile device strength back to the base module to plot on a thingspeak mathworks map by colour . This gives the sender and the receiver SNR values

[@The_Comms_Channel]

From what I understand, it's more of a hardware issue than code issue. I have a Heltec that I'll test this on. Thanks for the info!

[@johncabot2114]

How does normal foliage affect performance? Like if one was in the top of the tree? From tree top to tree top.

[@darktrojan00]

If the device is not really being used that much and in a really sunny sate such as Florida, would it be possible that the solar panel is sending more electricity to the battery than it is being used? and if that is the case then is there any kind of protection for the battery or anything stopping it from blowing up because of overcharge?

[@The_Comms_Channel]

What's great about the WisBlock compared to other LoRa options is that it has a built in solar charge controller. It will stop charging when the battery reaches 100%

[@kf5hcr176]

When I drag my csv file into my maps it says selected file not supported. Any suggestions? Thanks

[@0065majko]

Same problem here. Tried editing CSV, but it doesn't work.

[@martymcflyer8487]

​@@0065majkoI had to save to XLSX for my maps to import. I suspect Maps isn't recognizing expected fields in the csv named Latitude and Longitude and throws up an unhelpful error message.

[@nunyabidness9257]

Thanks for putting in the work to make these videos. I’m currently experimenting with Armachat and a version is now Meshtastic Compatible so having nodes to act as repeaters is fantastic. I asked in the first video if these could be used without a cell phone in the initial setup that appears to be the case as long as you don’t need the latest software flashed on units that come pre flashed for Meshtastic, correct?

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Glad you're finding the videos useful! I've never heard of Armachat, I'll have to check that out! If you get a WisBlock as part of Meshtastic Starter Kit, it will come with Meshtastic loaded on it, but it's not set to the region and not in repeater mode. That can be easily set from a computer though if a cell phone isn't an option.

[@nunyabidness9257]

Perhaps you could do a video showing what software to use for this-many of us are capable of bolting things together and using software if we know what to do but it isn’t something we have a lot of experience with. In my case, I’m a general class HAM radio licensee so I can solder and understand radio theory and how to solder things but I’m not an expert on communicating with microcontrollers. There are a lot of people out there that would like Meshtastic capability but won’t have anything to do with cellphones being involved because there is no expectation of privacy at that point…. Which is why you want encrypted comms in the first place. @@The_Comms_Channel

[@nunyabidness9257]

Armachat is being developed by Peter Misenko here on YT. He has made a number of devices that are either dedicated communicators or incorporate Armachat into a device he created. As of right now, Meshtastic is only available on his PiComputer. I have Armachat Touch and really like it.@@The_Comms_Channel

[@The_Comms_Channel]

@@nunyabidness9257 That's a good point and idea. I would be happy to do that and will try to put that together this weekend time permitting. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@LouisObrien-p7q]

Is it possible to use a directional antenna with your DIY set up? And if yes, can you recommend one or a few for me? I appreciate the help, thank you!

[@The_Comms_Channel]

It is! I have a video on antennas that you may find useful. Here's a link to that video kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGfaZYSqjqppgpo If you do need a directional antenna, I've not tested this one personally, but I've used a lot of ALPHA Network gear and they make quality equipment. store.rokland.com/products/12-dbi-aya-9012-alfa-network-n-female-directional-yagi-outdoor-iot-915-mhz-antenna?ref=tc2 There's also this one that I got from Amazon a while back and haven't gotten a chance to test yet. I'm currently on the road, but plan on doing some tests with this when I get back. amzn.to/3R4bqCz Thanks for the question!

[@bluenetmarketing]

How do you get these devices to transmit at their full allowable power of 1W?

[@Francois_Dupont]

there exist a 1W capable device, but i think its very expensive like 200$.

[@bluenetmarketing]

@@Francois_Dupont I don't care how expensive. Where do I find it?

[@edcozart9916]

My question is with the solar controller does it control max and min voltage and does it have a temp senser to stop charging when it gets too cold as we know lithium does not play well with the cold thanks Ed W9US

[@The_Comms_Channel]

It's more of a solar charge port than a controller really. There are no management features. Just charges the battery

[@edcozart9916]

@The_Comms_Channel ahhhh good to know Thanks for a quick answer I'm not sure what region your in but how does the battery hold up to cold weather, here in IL it got to -28° F this last winter?

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Sure thing! I'm in TN so it doesn't get quite that cold here

[@johncabot2114]

One way to potentially "unplug" a device would be to use a micro timer relay. You could set it to "unplug" every 24 hours at some weird time.

[@lightofhopeph]

Great content, do you know on how we can activate a gps module on the wisblock and do the automated range test ?

[@justaregularguy3827]

hey comms ever had issues updating the .uf2 file for the firmware mine copys fine then disconnects and i reset it right after and it doesent seem to update my rak 4631 wisblock and when i use the web client it says ukn no mac adress or hardware name any tips ?

[@The_Comms_Channel]

What firmware update process are you doing?

[@justaregularguy3827]

@@The_Comms_Channel .uf2 bootloader style usb serial I figured it out I wiped it to rui3 accidently recently and it basically ended up me getting the rak wireless factory files and nrf uitl.exe and wiping it all then I installed the arduino bootloader or whatever then installed the uf.2 2.2.13 firmware file after copying it flashed green and restarted several times in like 3 min I left it alone and when I used the mesbtastic client I noticed it had been flashing green every 2 seconds which it didn't do before so it needed a clean wipe

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Ah, gotcha! Glad you got it working!

[@cuddlybear4524]

Next question. Any idea why the range test "seq#" won't display on the phone app? It shows on the T-Beam lcd but not on the phone app(s). I've tried both phones/T-Beams as the mobile test device and neither apps. show the seq#. Normal messages show just fine just not the range test.

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Not sure on that one. What type of phone do you have?

[@cuddlybear4524]

@@The_Comms_Channel Both are Androids (DeGoogled)

[@alexvanwormer4593]

Having the same issue. Using iPhones. Have not been able to track down androids to see if that’s the issue yet. Interested to know if anyone has figured this out.

[@alexvanwormer4593]

T-echo and RAK both won’t send seq in range test

[@webfreezy]

@@alexvanwormer4593 I also didn't see any seq messages - I then simply downloaded rangetest.csv and looked at it and I could see that it logged positions at least so far, so I think it seems to be working.

[@AndrewLockhart]

When you went mobile where did you have your T. Beam?

[@The_Comms_Channel]

It's been a while, but I believe it was sitting on the dash of my vehicle

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Also, be sure to check out the new Range test video as the process has changed a bit since this video came out kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4HKpqmVeJt_hbs

[@AndrzejSQ9PKW]

Have you maybe video with working program for meshtastic repeater?

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Not yet, but that will be in an upcoming video soon!

[@natebaird]

Hi, thanks for these videos. Question: If I were to set up one of these on a hill a mile or so away and wanted to message a friend, would we both need personal devices that we could either message with via the device itself or by connecting it to our own phones or could we connect to the device main router in the hill by our phones alone? Alternatively, if those friends had a single router at their place, could multiple people use that same router to transmit a signal from there place to the router on the hill and then to me? I'm super new to this but it's exciting and seems like a relatively budget friendly way to get into DIY encrypted messaging. Thanks for any help that you can provide :)

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Sure thing! I'm glad you're enjoying the videos! If someone is close enough (within Bluetooth range of 300ft or so) to the device on the hill, they could connect directly to that device with their phone and communicate with the distant users. If none of you are near the device on the hill, then you would each need your own personal devices along with the device acting as the repeater on the hill. There can currently only be one device connected to a device at one time. I believe there is work being done to allow this though, or at least talks about it so not sure what the timeframe would be on that happening. It's awesome technology and the easiest and most budget friendly way to get encrypted comms that I've found. Thanks for the great questions!

[@natebaird]

@@The_Comms_Channel okay, that’s noted and appreciate your explanation! Cheers

[@The_Comms_Channel]

@@natebaird Sure thing!

[@abe677]

I really want to build one of these, but the glued-on solar panel is a no-go in hurricane country. I need to work out some sort of alternate solar panel mounting solution.

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Do you need solar? I'll be working on a video for a Power over Ethernet setup if you don't need solar.

[@LordGryllwotth]

Doesn't seem like I get the range test messages

[@carlosbruno4142]

Followed directions carefully. When I start range test on mobile device I don’t see any seq message coming through on stationary device. I can still send a message on the main channel and it goes through fine. Am I missing a setting?

[@The_Comms_Channel]

What devices are you using?

[@carlosbruno4142]

Using a wisblock based unit for the stationary and a t beam for the mobile. Using Meshtastic Android version for both

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Hmmm... that's my exact setup.

[@The_Comms_Channel]

I don't do it often so I'm not sure what could be going on off the top of my head. I'll mess around with mine when I get home and see what I can figure out.

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Any luck?

[@cuddlybear4524]

Is there an alternative to Google My Maps that can be used?

[@The_Comms_Channel]

There used to be a good Android app that did this, but I've been unable to find it now. Google MyMaps is the only thing I've been able to find, but I do want to create my own tool to do this at some point. The hard part us finding the time 🙂

[@The_Comms_Channel]

I did a look around and found this website maps.co/gis/ that works. You just have to modify the csv file. The csv file has a column named "sender lat" - rename this to "lat" and there is also a column named "sender long" - rename this to "lng". Then if you click on the Import Data button you can upload your csv file.

[@LouisObrien-p7q]

Have you guys tried using ATAK?

[@The_Comms_Channel]

@@LouisObrien-p7q I've used ATAK, but not sure it will read the range test csv file. I've not tried though.

[@BobBob-il2ku]

I thought I read somewhere the rak boards are supposed to wake themselves up maybe that solar green module helps with that?

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Not sure, mine didn't seem to at least. I wonder if it may have been fixed in a newer firmware. I'll have to test it out.

[@BobBob-il2ku]

@@The_Comms_Channel apparently it only wakes itself up if you plug the solar panel into the usb port

[@The_Comms_Channel]

@@BobBob-il2ku Ah, good to know. Sadly, the Soshine panel wouldn't charge/power the WisBlock so the solar charge port had to be used.

[@Francois_Dupont]

*WARNING* it doesnt work on LORA board without a on-board GPS. it will not take the GPS data from the cellphone as it usually does. the code is badly written. update: this will be fixed in the future. its just a matter of using the phone GPS.

[@AllenIsbell]

Any idea if this has been fixed?

[@AllenIsbell]

Just tried it. Didn't work. Even had the map open on my phone with GPS enabled so you could see my movement.

[@Francois_Dupont]

@@AllenIsbell sorry i coudnt be of use. its been a long time since i tried this. ive been banned from the Meshtastic Discord for helping people so i am less active on the forums since then. did you have both the radio and the phone updated to the lastest Beta/Alpha Frimware? it seems they added alot of function on the app, but most of them arent even working and there is no information about this not even on the wiki page. i wish they would test and repair the functionality more before unleashing them or at minimum label them as such.

[@AllenIsbell]

@@Francois_Dupont Banned from helping people? Sounds like a war crime to me. I will solder a GPS unit on this Heltec v3 as soon as I find or design a case that will house it with a 3,000mAh battery.

[@aholstercompany5270]

Hey, we are in the Tri cities right up the road from Knoxville. Love to chat and network this area. Sent a discord friend request. word in the herd.

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Added!

[@adrianobueno6984]

Sorry to point it out but you really made a mess in this video. It only worked for me when I placed the home device in "Range Test" also and the CSV that matters is the one in fixed position!