Encrypted Comms - DIY Solar WisBlock with Meshtastic

[@yamez69]

The RAK uses a Lora SX1262 chipset which has lower idle power usage, transmits at 22 dBm and has a boosted RX gain option. The newer LILYGO and Heltec boards also utilize a Lora SX1262 chipset. I have all 3 and they work great with Meshtastic. I agree the RAK is best for a fixed router/repeater location, solar charge controller connecter, no screen and modular configuration. Great video!

[@The_Comms_Channel]

It's a great chipset for sure! Really liking the WisBlocks and just got the RAK Movement Detection Kit to play around with! Glad you're enjoying the videos!

[@xozzothinktank]

@@The_Comms_Channel would be a great video and love to see it. Was trying to get the gps tracking to work to tell if a GPS enabled phone came within perimeter but have yet to send a message based on movement.

[@Meshtastic]

Nice video!

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Thank you! And thank y'all for all of the work done with Meshtastic!

[@jonnatangeraldino6480]

Thank you so much for the video. I have found lots of information videos regarding LoRa and MeshStatic yet very few on builds and how to do it. I will soon be establishing two mesh in Puerto Rico and hoping this sparks more people to do it

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Sure thing! I'm glad you found the video helpful. Stay tuned because I have a new build video coming out next week with improvements and cost savings!

[@Liberty4Ever]

I'm working my way through these videos, out of order, but there's great info here. Thanks! I have the 18650 batteries and battery packs. I just ordered the solar panels and they'll be here in a couple of days. The 8.5 dBi antennas will be here tomorrow and who knows when the Meshtastic starter kits that I ordered from RAK in China will be here - probably long after they're back in stock at Rokland. :-) I'm going to download a CAD model of the WisBlock so I can design and 3D print the custom pole mounted enclosures. This should be a fun project, and based on the news, it may be very useful, very soon!

[@KiLLaDaTa]

Just put up my first solar node from your guide !

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Nice! I have a bit of an improved version I'm working on and should hopefully have a video on it next week.

[@aaronhope8366]

OMFG that is exactly my wife's reaction. That's honestly a lovely build out. I love the set and forget capacity of this. This could be a great way to get a neighborhood watch communicating using an equivalent of APRS and ATACS without the barrier to radio that gives me wife that look. I suspect I could rig one of these up in my vehicle as well. Just needs a small panel in the window and an antenna outside of the faraday cage of a body. Could keep track of whatever sensors it's plugged into as well . . . easy peasy.

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Neighborhood watch would be a great use-case and easy to get people on board with!

[@qjmpq]

Looking forward to the video on building the housing!

[@The_Comms_Channel]

It should be out tomorrow or Wednesday at the latest! Thanks for watching!

[@_chocky]

On-board GPS can be useful in fixed location devices when accurate time keeping is required

[@The_Comms_Channel]

True! I've just learned that while testing the T-Deck which has no GPS and no way to get the time as a standalone device.

[@3nertia]

Could also be useful for knowing if a fixed device has been moved :)

[@Lets-follow-HIM]

Hi and thank you, your channel is really going to grow.

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Sure thing! Thanks, I appreciate you saying that!

[@sc3381212]

HI, what a great project! I was wondering how can you get such clean LORA chirping on SDR console (03:35)? I always got a blob of noise, can you share how do you set those parameter? thanks in advance.

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Thank you! Great question! The only settings I set on SDR Console was SAM mode. The key is the settings on the LoRa device. What's happening is the LoRa CHIRPs are too fast, so you're not able to see them on the waterfall. You need to set the spreading factor to 12 on the device. I will try to do a video on how to do this tonight or tomorrow

[@sc3381212]

@@The_Comms_Channel Thanks a lot, I set the spreading factor to 12 and I do see the same result, looking forward to your next video!

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Sure thing! Glad you got it working!

[@GH0ST369]

Good content keep up the good work brother. Learning a lot hope some will stick in the old two cell brain bucket.

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Appreciate it brother! I'm glad you're finding them useful. Much more to come.

[@presidentelectjerryodom3889]

Can we have a video explaining the hop limit concept and more detail. In the manage mode also also that would be great thank you.

[@The_Comms_Channel]

I will look into doing that! Thanks for the suggestion!

[@wjh9806]

I use the Lora SX1262 and R820T. The signal I observed is not as clear as yours. The signal I'm observing is both wide and flat in shape. How do you set up the sdr console?

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Thank you! Great question! The only settings I set on SDR Console was SAM mode. The key is the settings on the LoRa device. What's happening is the LoRa CHIRPs are too fast, so you're not able to see them on the waterfall. You need to set the spreading factor to 12 on the device. I will try to do a video on how to do this tonight or tomorrow

[@jimturnbull2343]

So, first off I am a ham radio operator with an extra license and I am wondering if this LoRa device with the gps can be carried out where there is no cell service.? My wife and sister in law where out on a hike in Utah and got into trouble and had no cell service and I am wanting to get something that they can use when I am not along since I carry my radio when cell service is gone. Also I am looking for something new to build in my spare time and this looks cool.

[@The_Comms_Channel]

No cell service is required to use them. They could take a LoRa device with them on their hike and if you have line of sight from your location, you could communicate. If not, a device could be deployed as a repeater somewhere with elevation or maybe someone's ham tower. These devices connect together to create a mesh network so you could have them at multiple locations. Definitely cool technology and it's been fun to play around with.

[@juanjocastillo]

Dude... I just noticed... The Meshstastic logo... it's very similar to the waterfall graphics of it's own signal (LoRa)

[@CREWorxMedia]

Nice video, very much appreciate all the info. Has anyone tried 8db 915 antenna on their rigs? Is it an overkill?

[@digeretech]

Maybe this is a dumb question, but I've been trying to find the answer online and I'm still coming up short, so I'm asking here. Is meshtastic strictly for more local (ie. within a 100-150 miles) communication or is it possible to do very long range communications? Can a message be sent across the entire mesh network, assuming there are many nodes within range of each other to make the hops? Let's say for example, I live in Atlanta, Georgia, and I want to get a message to a friend who also has a node in Boston, Mass. If there are nodes to forward the messages all the way up the East coast between both of us, it is theoretically possible to get messages back and forth to each other? Thanks!

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Not a dumb question at all! Meshtastic is more for local comms. You could use MQTT to send messages to your friends node in Boston through the Internet, but I've always felt that it doesn't count unless it's over the radio waves.

[@digeretech]

@@The_Comms_Channel Hmm, that's kind of what I was afraid of. MQTT doesn't really interest me. IMHO, the true power of this tech would be the ability to blanket the globe in low power nodes that could transverse vastly large areas and get messages to people across entire continents via radio without ever contacting the internet. Granted, it might be slow by internet standards, but it would be very powerful, especially during a national or global emergency. Thanks for the speedy reply! 🙂

[@dustyrhodes1655]

Great content!!

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Appreciate it! More to come!

[@VTwin4Christ]

What is max erp and what is standard throughput? Can u do any networking tcp or udp socket connections between two devices?

[@MontieOutside]

Great video, can you post your parts list and software set up for the repeater box?

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Thanks Montie! The list is in the video description on the 2nd video in this series and I've linked it below. Let me know if you run into any out-of-stock items and I'll be happy to find an alternative option. kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3a1c2B_nK14iK8si=OWTQmr1L2wK6OYDk

[@MontieOutside]

@@The_Comms_Channel Thanks

[@nunyabidness9257]

Does this act as a Meshtastic repeater node right out of the box without cell phone setup?

[@The_Comms_Channel]

It doesn't. It will still need to be set up to whatever mode you want. You can set this setting from the computer if you prefer not to do it from a phone.

[@UnknownUser-pf9rk]

I can't find this module anywhere where I live. Are there alternative boards that do the same thing - or at least most of it - without just using a t-beam with gps and all that?

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Where do you live?

[@UnknownUser-pf9rk]

@@The_Comms_Channel Germany

[@The_Comms_Channel]

​@@UnknownUser-pf9rk I have an affiliate link to Rokland who will ship to Germany and may be worth looking into store.rokland.com/products/rak-wireless-wisblock-meshtastic-starter-kit?ref=tc2 If the shipping is too costly, then ordering direct from RAK Wireless may be worth looking into as well. store.rakwireless.com/products/wisblock-meshtastic-starter-kit?variant=41433735725254 If ordering from RAK Wireless directly, you can use my coupon code TC2 to help bring costs down a bit. There are not many other options out there for an NRF52 board that will be good for solar setups. Anything ESP32 is not as good of a choice due to how power hungry they are.

[@UnknownUser-pf9rk]

@@The_Comms_Channel Thanks for the quick help! I will look into those stores. For the first one, however, it is sold out at the moment, unfortunately. Also, I need the EU868 version which doesn't seem to exist in the first shop.

[@The_Comms_Channel]

@@UnknownUser-pf9rk Sure thing! Ah, that's true, for the EU868 you're probably going to need to order direct from RAK.

[@W5DMH]

If you have several cloudy days, and the battery dies..does it restart when the battery is once again solar charged on the next sunny day? If not, this would be big dilemma when you mount this in a difficult remote location.

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Thanks for the great question! In my experience, they will not power back on themselves after the battery is depleted sadly. That said, these devices are low power as long as you are using just the standard WisBlock and LoRa module without adding things like GPS. You should get over a week of use with a single 18650 battery and should be fine in most situations. If it is a concern though, the first one I made had two 18650 batteries. The enclosure has plenty of room, so you could add even more than that if needed.

[@hi-tech-guy-1823]

@@The_Comms_Channel Replace 18650 with LTO Yinlong Cell 2.3v 40ah Power Cap 66160H - LTO A-Grade or Sodium Ion 33140 15Ah They Can charge in very low in Deep negatives Temps NEG 30C - neg 60 for LTO I would Set up A 555 Timer (Momentary Pluse On )+ optocoupler Isolator (own PCB with 2 thin wires Going to the power Button Pins ) 555 Get power Form it own Soler cell So ever day on sun light the optical Isolator Mimics Someone PUSHING The power button

[@SOCMMOB]

Might be a silly question, but I know nothing about Meshtastic; what is the need for a GPS module?

[@Woddy-bd7ns]

Please can you share the shopping list

[@The_Comms_Channel]

It's in the second video. I have a version 2 of this build that I'm working on and I should have the video out for that next week.

[@The_Comms_Channel]

You may want to hold off until then for the updated version

[@The_Comms_Channel]

I highly recommend you order the WisBlock before then though. They've been selling quickly, and they only have 82 left at the moment. store.rokland.com/products/rak-wireless-wisblock-meshtastic-starter-kit?ref=tc2

[@michaelbahu2528]

So is LoRa line of sight?

[@The_Comms_Channel]

That is correct. It is able to work well beneath the noise floor, but it is line of sight for the most part.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

Ummmm why is the solar panel mounted vertically ?? 😩

[@The_Comms_Channel]

It's not mounted vertically; did you mean horizontally? It's mounted this way because it's the best fit to the enclosure without blocking the antenna.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

@@The_Comms_Channel Horizontal means flat, like on a roof. This shows it mounted vertically on the side of the box.

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Ohhh, I gotcha now. I thought you meant the orientation of it on the side of the box. Ideally, it would be nice to have at an angle. Having it on top isn't really an option due to the antenna. Still works pretty well though!

[@edwardfletcher7790]

@@The_Comms_Channel You'll gain about 50% more efficiency if you can get at least a 45 deg angle. I know the batteries & circuit are efficient, but you'll probably struggle in winter. Aluminium or wood might be easiest.

[@PeterLawton]

@@edwardfletcher7790 45 degrees --------> latitude where used, whatever angle that is

[@brianseaders]

i desmpratly want to know how i can acutialy use 5 pins on the modual and 8 pins on the bace that are not for the 4 pin display

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Not sure what you mean. Can you explain what you're trying to do?

[@BingoBongoMan]

I wish that Apple and other phone manufacturers would incorporate this hardware into their devices and enable it to be switchable via either a hardware or software switch. Apple has already integrated its SOS satellite system and mesh platform for products like AirTags into their phones. So, why not license and expand the chipsets slightly to offer LoRa capabilities to millions of users? This step would propel Meshtastic into new dimensions. I'm sure it would drive cell phone providers crazy, but who cares!

[@AnneStevenson-w3t]

😅

[@jeffsecules184]

Isn’t there an app that does device to device voip over Wi-Fi?

[@The_Comms_Channel]

I believe there are a number of apps that can do that

[@edwardfletcher7790]

Zello is the best of those Wifi VOIP apps... It even works with very old Android devices 👍

[@Генри-г5к]

Hi, bro!!! You're doing a great video!! Question Can you send such a thing on a solar battery to Moscow? I would buy it. We are doing our own network around the city here)))

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying the videos! Shipping there would be pretty costly I believe. Around $50 or so. Do you have somewhere local where you can source the parts? Is Amazon available there?

[@alm77ar]

Great

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@CCoburn3]

As our governments all turn to tyranny -- with the help of big tech -- we MUST have secure, decentralized communications. This is a step in that direction.

[@threepe0]

we DO have that, and get a life with this rhetorical paranoid nonsense

[@CCoburn3]

@@threepe0 Yes, you're a good boy. The government LOVES you. You just keep ignoring the NSA and the CIA. You just keep ignoring the fact that governments around the world are passing laws to make encryption of internet traffic illegal. You keep believing that the government will take care of you. We need people like you because you will be the first targets for governments. (They ALWAYS kill the useful idiots first.)

[@TheTyrial86]

​@@threepe0 Okay, fed... You must have been under a rock.

[@JungleLoveOeOeO]

They're just going to regulate this stuff into oblivion

[@CCoburn3]

@@JungleLoveOeOeO If we just give up, we're already defeated and enslaved.

[@laynemccormic9102]

Appreciate the content but holy vocal fry dude

[@The_Comms_Channel]

I work in Cyber Security... Long night.

[@laynemccormic9102]

@@The_Comms_Channel understandable

[@ophello]

Meshtastic isn't secure.

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Thank you for this very detailed security analysis.

[@jessstirland8338]

No communications are decryptable. The End.

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Not sure what you're trying to say here.

[@PeterLawton]

Your comment is not decryptable, either. @jessstirland8338

[@johnlew5972]

Tough to listen to. Can barely hear you no matter what the volume.

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Hmm, seems okay to me. Do you have this issue with any of my other videos?