This device makes Meshtastic the BEST off-grid tech

[@AmirHusainTX]

At MESHCON in Austin, on OCT 5, we launched a balloon which reached a height of at least 65K feet. It was carrying a SpecFive Trekker Meshtastic device. For more than an hour it connected Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio! It was amazing to see well over a hundred nodes popup immediately. We then also flew an autonomous drone at ~400ft with a SpecFive CoPilot which is designed for quadcopters but did well on a fixed wing. We're not too far away from enough people getting into mesh networking that it becomes useful for everyone.

[@0xKruzr]

I live here, wish I'd known this was happening!

[@AmirHusainTX]

@@0xKruzr Sorry you missed it this year... will happen again next year, likely in the Spring.

[@kf5hcr176]

So that's why I got 95 new nodes in Brazoria. That's 65 thousand feet? Shoot, that's some line of site alright. Y'all keep on plugging away, we'll all benefit from your efforts. 73

[@AmirHusainTX]

@@kf5hcr176 That's really cool to hear. Let's go build that MESH!!

[@JohannesNielsen]

Outstanding

[@SailMyWay]

Ten months ago I got into Meshtastic, and you’re spot on about how non techies view it. I’ve tested with pre built units I purchased from community members and commercially available assembled units. It does need more development to be ready for a disaster. I have a number of kits as well to assemble. I had big plans with solar nodes etc. At the time there were only 3 nodes in a 15 mile radius of a major city and was unable to connect to any of them. I personally have 9 units.

[@jo.v-c]

Even some "techies", depending on your definition. I'd vaguely heard of it before but wasn't giving it any thought whatsoever and had largely forgotten about it. Then this came up in my mentions and I'm all "OMG, they're finally starting to get it". I'm actually sharing this video around now.

[@JohnLovell-FTW]

My issue is with deployment and updates. Meshtastic app on my phone often becomes incompatible with deployed versions that requires me to get on a ladder to pull down the devices and update them. Meshtastic needs an LTS version.

[@InCognito-vx8gi]

Meshtastic absolutely need a routing protocol. That'd be the the biggest step to make the system more resilient and self healing.

[@LRon-Hoyabembe]

@@JohnLovell-FTW I've been very interested in meshtastic and it's ABSOLUTELY INSANE to hear that an update can kill connectivity with a node.

[@Imaboss8ball]

​@@JohnLovell-FTW Or at least a fall back protocol.

[@dennyklaver6398]

You've hit the proverbial nail on the head Jeff. There are so many technical hurdles for this to reach mass appeal today - but I'm glad you've set the bar to what Meshtastic needs for it to be used by more people. I would love to see this as a consumer off the shelf device so that friends and loved ones could use it for emergency communications. It's going to take time to reach that goal. As always Great Job Jeff. Absolutely enjoy all your channels and content. Blessings. Denny

[@Funkteon]

Meshtastic is doomed to stay in the realm of neck-bearded, Reddit-addicted radio nerds who think they’re too intelligent for the rest of us, despite their fake wishes for wider adoption. These elitist edge-lords are gatekeeping it hard, and after a bit over four years since it's introduction into the world, setting up Meshtastic is still a pain, no easier than it was half a decade ago. My father, a university-educated electrical engineer with a radio setup that would make LoRaWAN fanboys weep, upon studying it, couldn’t even figure out how to get two devices going without wading through third-party firmware and extra hardware that should’ve come with the box. Ten years from now, it’ll still be the same - a playground for smug nerds, while off-grid emergency comms will still be off-the-shelf UHF radios. Meshtastic’s biggest problem? A complete lack of C-suite leadership. It’s like what Apple would have been if Steve Wozniak had never met Steve Jobs-just another forgotten soldered board fading into obscurity at some Homebrew Computer Club meeting.

[@noth606]

For adoption to become a thing it will need to be more than an "in case of emergency - pull this thing out that nobody remembers or knew how to use" type of thing. Back some years ago blackberries basically did not exist in Europe, there were some alternatives that did kinda okay, very very few people knew what a blackberry was, let alone had seen one, then it kinda exploded, and for something like 3-4 yrs there were a fair bit of people who had blackberries as their private phone, not entirely sure why but they did. Then it just died off, for the most part even as company phones. I still have a blackberry torch or so somewhere, my old employer did not want it back hah, they'd have to pay to dispose of it. Point of this rant is that this kind of thing could become widespread but not if it is for emergencies only - very few give a shit about emergencies plain and simple. And frankly, having a battery powered blackberry clone always in a condom up your butt in case of emergencies, in the hope that some other guy does, and is within range... is... optimistic... If you have a solarcharger suitcase with 5 or 6 of those things, plus floating relay stations with solar panels you can scatter about --- THEN you have something worthwhile regardless of what anyone else does, and that has capabilities that are useful. My 2ct anyway. I'll be on my HAM radio scanning all bands in the mean time :-P

[@babybirdhome]

@@noth606 The disasters thing is really a crucial point to think through. Any device that uses a rechargeable battery that's only used in emergencies is going to be a device that's not going to work or be used in emergencies, because today's rechargeable batteries just aren't suited to that kind of application. They need to be used regularly, cycled regularly, and would need to be charged regularly so they're usable when a disaster comes. For most people to do that, it's going to have to be a device they use all the time, or that maintenance is going to go by the wayside and the device will be worthless when it matters. Basically, anything like this isn't going to be useful in an emergency if it isn't practical for something plenty of people do all the time, no matter how cool it is.

[@noth606]

@@babybirdhome So for the most part you're agreeing with me except for my proposed option in other words. There are rechargeable batteries that have a very long shelf life, which could be employed for this kind of application in my 'comms in a suitcase' type deal, and the interface and function could be very simple, text sent with an originator ID and timestamp code, which every node repeats as broadcast every hour or some other time, for 24hrs for example. You could add other functions, to check a sort of "ping" and which device/node can reach which directly for example, you could add a low power GPS receiver woken up every hour to get a fix and broadcast position. The utility of something like this would be that it could work as a text based long range comms system as well as to check who is "alive" or when they last were seen, since this could all be transmitted from node to node in the same "ping/alive/etc" burst and propagated from node to node, which also the messages could be. Basically you could have solar powered relay nodes of sorts, that charge up a supercap to do their transmission part. They just sit and listen in default low power mode until a message that hasn't been received before comes in, and then fire up the transmitter to relay it. Just thinking about this now, but there would be a way to build a system that could be very useful in a disaster or SHTF scenario, using long range low power radio text with a sort of autonomous relay network of low cost nodes that have near limitless shelf life. The handsets could use whatever power is available and either rechargeable or single use batteries, or solar. It's a really interesting thought experiment and technical exercise actually, there are ways to make sure it would have a potential shelf life of 50yrs or so, maybe more. Supercaps for example have no real expiry date, neither do some specific rechargeable batteries that are not lipo etc.

[@JessicaBantz]

I didn’t fully realize what has kept me from getting into MT until I watched this. Solid points all around!

[@nitramdmij]

Jeff, I think this is the perfect channel for your "shorts". No nonsense, no editing, just talking to your audience. Too bad you have to have your main channels follow the KZbin way to drive your metrics to get your audience. Anyway, I am one of the people that just find too many hoops to jump through to get started in Meshtastic. I have a lot of things competing for my time and think something like the T-Deck with a nice interface right out of the box is really up my alley right now. Thanks for the video!

[@NEVIXIA]

Its like blackberry being revived.. I like the design and simplicity..

[@WarrenPostma]

I would buy a unit that is already set up with this good UI and can be purchased without me having to download CI nightly builds, 3d print my own enclosure or assemble the product from circuit boards and componentry. A kickstarter project or something that mass-manufactures 10K of these, I would be in to buy a bunch. That's what would drive adoption, is having a product you can buy that could be a truly off grid backbone device. The LillyGo offering looks like the right way. Even if the hardware requires firmware setup having dev units that have a local screen and a keyboard seems key.

[@supakat1835]

Hi Jeff, Thank you for your through video of the Meshtastic, making it more useful, that is simply explained & doesnt leave me hanging with unanswered questions. Thank you!

[@NonyaDamnbusiness]

Meshtastic has kind of exploded in my area. My main node at home has already picked up 116 nodes in the KC Metro. Local amateur radio club even has a router up high that pretty much covers the entire southern part of the metro. I use a Tdeck Plus as my main, a pocket in my vehicle, and several Heltec-v3-powered nodes with belt holsters in my emergency kits. Thanks to our area being mostly flat the range is pretty big.

[@Airport_Dad]

I'm in KC myself and just ordered my first meshtastic device. How do I connect with the amateur radio club you mentioned?

[@JPBennett]

We're trying to get the new UI to the point of being ready for a "tech preview". It's a balancing act between how much of it works, how much better it is than the other interface, and how much is still a placeholder in there. It's coming soon.

[@Rostol]

3rd channel to you maybe... but 1st in our hearts. I know intros and outros and polished make the videos look more professional and draw people, but these ones that just go straight to the point are awesome. (feels like old youtube) This does seem like a killer product for meshtastic. it makes me want to try it now to try to hook an offgrid conection with my parents' ~1km away. this seems something my mom can use

[@Level2Jeff]

"Old KZbin" is exactly why I want this channel :) I started posting videos in 2006, and back then it was more "I have a crazy idea" or "I want to show someone this thing" and less "optimize for views and clicks". As you can see by the thumbnails on this channel, I can't completely get away from that... but at least I feel zero pressure to make a video that hits the metrics *KZbin* wants me to hit. If I talked for 12 minutes instead of 6, I would probably get 2-4x the traction, at least that's my experience for the past year or so. But I figure I don't want to waste more time editing, and I don't want viewers to waste more time getting to the meat of what I want to talk about!

[@KallePihlajasaari]

@@Level2Jeff There is a product that will turn your mobile into a HAM radio with a small SDR limpet on the back. There should be urgent development fort such a Meshtastic limpet to enable CHEAP and prolific nodes. Obviously those who live the fear porn of everyone is a terrorist the moment they have anonymous communication and cheer for exploding pager batteries and FBI ANOM Sting operations will try to find ways to block it but if there is a very simple and cheap limpet that increases the number of nodes it would increase awareness and might even reach a critical mass where people start using it as a primary message channel. I think the developers should look at uucp and other early internet standards to bootstrap the routing tools. In the end the earth WILL HAVE a distributed internet and Meshtastic is probably one of the early ligaments that will be part of it. As soon as I have a few funds to allocate I will get a couple of nodes to play with and leave switched on to provide connectivity. Tunneling via the internet would increase coverage to anywhere.

[@markcohen5094]

Great video! I've been waiting for this new FW to get "released".. I've built about 20 meshtastic nodes including solar power routers, and agree with you, the T-Deck with the updated FW will kill it for so many people.. Thanks!

[@cdl0]

Jeff is right on every point in this video, including KZbin shorts.

[@JonZobrist]

Thanks for your article simplifying how to get the new UI up on the T-Deck! I got it up and running np! Can’t wait for it to support all the features!

[@cybernoid001]

I agree that having a turn key solution is what is needed for wide spread adoption of any technology. Those of us that are tech geeks, we love getting into the weeds so to speak of configurations, but that only limits the tech to those that understand it. So it needs things for the average person to pick up and use without knowing anything. As much as I dislike iPhones, that is the reason why it took off. It worked for most people most of the time, without them having to know anything about advanced phone features.

[@thegreeneyej]

Addicting little things! Halltek v3, RAK wisblock 4631, getting a collection of them. Printing cases, building enclosures.

[@hugothales4902]

You are completely right Jeff. It's all about usability and power needs.

[@LerrySanders]

I was talking to a friend of mine when we both saw those for the first time and we thought the same thing. "Finally a Blackberry all in one device type device I can use by itself" I might pick one up now that they are not forever out of stock and the UI looks like its on track to being usable.

[@carlospcpro]

8 years ago I remember GoTenna a peer to peer network devices that connected with smart phones using Bluetooth and where practically the same concept. I thought they would be a success but they weren’t. I hope this new approach have a better chance with this kind of devices. We need good reliable and popular alternatives to the grid, I think. Great video

[@nikomo]

Bluetooth's only good for about a bit over a hundred meters. LORA has much lower bitrate, but being able to do kilometers between nodes is a massive bonus to meshing.

[@carlospcpro]

@@nikomo the power GoTenna has is that is peer to peer using long range radio

[@nikomo]

@@carlospcpro The way you phrased it sounded like it was a Bluetooth mesh between phones. I just had a look, GoTenna is using bands that require certification for the units - incredibly expensive when LORA can get the same job done. Their range figures on the website are based on an aerial relay - nobody's stopping you from putting a Meshtastic node on a balloon or a plane either.

[@carlospcpro]

@@nikomo sorry my bad

[@Grunchy005]

I'd buy it if it could also play Space Invaders, but it can't, so I won't.

[@DarrLaw]

This looks pretty sweet. I'd love to have one of these in the emergency prep kit!

[@ilya_ash]

Thanks, Jeff! I saw T-Deck and had some thoughts about it a while ago, especially after moving to Israel. This new firmware and T-Deck Plus looks very, very promising

[@dominick253]

I think recent events have solidified my decision to make a system like this... If shtf then this will be a life or death kinda device. This could mean saving a whole community ya know

[@TechAirSpace]

I was watching your video and then my KZbin channel popped up on the screen! That was cool! 😊

[@Level2Jeff]

Thanks for posting that tutorial! I hate that KZbin has a totally different UI for shorts on desktop!

[@TechAirSpace]

@@Level2Jeff No problem! A while back I couldn’t find any info on flashing the 'Fancy UI', so I decided to create a quick video to help others.

[@poland153]

yeah true standalone unit is the dream. although having the app installed on your phone ahead of any emergency is pretty probable assuming youre playing with it when you receive it. however if you leave it in the "box" and only wish to set it up late/when you actually need it, then generally its not an issue of the product/having to learn something new in preparation for an emergency. but as we know many people dont try to be proactive and mainly become reactive at the worst time aka when shit hits the fan.

[@hizzousekakashi8836]

Ye, exactly what you said is what I would want from a device, If I could get an all in one device like that I'd probably buy a dozen and hand them out to family so we'd always be able to keep contact pretty much no matter what happens.

[@Sensorium19]

Great way of putting everything. I still haven't really jumped into meshtastic, but I have been following it's development for several years now. When someone markets a functional retail device, something I could buy a set of and give to my neighbors and know it would work with minimal technical wizard, that's the real use case for me.

[@EmhanceResponderDevelopment]

I'm Involved with search and rescue this is so important to us especially because it integrated with atak.

[@spokehedz]

The worst part for anything "radio" for me is the Antenna. The only two options are: 1. Buy one for $$$ and hope that whoever you buy it from knows what they are doing. 2. Buy a tester, and the wire, and the connectors, and the crimpers--and hope you can get something that works. And just buying an antenna that is based on the frequency you are using is not fun, since nobody wants to agree on any standard on what to list the antenna as. Sometimes listed by the 'band' that is set by some arbitrary reason years ago. Sometimes listed as the frequency. Sometimes you get what the antenna is 'used' for like "Mobile" or "Base" and that isn't even what the antenna is good at receiving! And looking for 'meshtastic antenna' gets you as scammy/scummy as results as you would think. But also looking up 900MHz antennas give you results for old house phones? Or maybe some telemetry stuff? Oh and don't look for any of that crypto mining stuff that also use LoRA radios. Just another mess of nonsense for what is a wire.

[@tabGeeks]

Blackberry keyboard and curve ball navigation! I might buy it just for those 😀

[@luigicirelli2583]

this is BRILLIANT! it's BBS all over again; see the major players flocking in again like they did with the BBS being supplanted by the internet

[@enermaxstephens1051]

You are correct, that's what is needed to make it appear everywhere. That's what it takes to be able to find one that you could use, even if you were totally screwed and completely cut off from all help. Odds are you would find one somewhere and then you're back in business.

[@expertguy101]

Holy shit ,I'm in STL. We need a community for this

[@patrickpuma]

Thank you for spreading the word!

[@barmalini]

What I think is really useful for mestastic devices is a voice-to-text interface, and optional text-to-speech would be nice too. So communication between devices would still be text-based, but the usability would be much improved. I wish I had the skills to implement this.

[@tonytwostep_]

We've been trying to set up a solar node meshtastic network in our city of around 2 million people since 2020. The problem with LoRa is that it relies on the line of sight and in urban areas like cities with lots of big buildings, it's tough for messages to even span more than a few blocks...

[@FlatEarthDisciple]

I've been dying to see these devices adopted, but not at the current prices individual sellers want for assembled keyboard products.

[@MaxwellsDaemon]

Hi, thanks for making this video. I've recently got in to Meshtastic and have been building all sorts of nodes. I have a t-deck plus arriving shortly and really want to try out the 'fancy' if buggy UI firmware. Totally accept all the caveats, certain wouldn't bug the devs or expect any support from them, might even get involved in the development if that was wanted. Would very much like to see a walk-through for building from source - I'm pretty sure I'll be able to figure it out when my device gets here, but having someone who already has share it for everyone is valuable. Keep up the good work!

[@abnorc8798]

I'm just learning about these things, and I feel like I'm about to make an impulse purchase. I love the idea of a little device that you just power up and you get on a decentralized network. According to the maps that I found online, there's nobody in my town who has these though.

[@cdoty]

It's nice to have both. Standalone nodes can be cheap and expand your range and a more expensive version to make it more usable.

[@thetruemorg]

100% agree. I got one of those little boxes years ago in the hopes of moving over to and playing with mesh networks because they are totally rad... But I kept running into the same problem Most people do Is that you have to have the patience ham operation. If I had a device that I could just send texts to a couple friends I know I'd become way more interested and so would everyone else. It wouldn't be long until you start finding a community for that easier entrance point and apps develop, etc.

[@madcarew5168]

Got T deck etc.etc..all now relagated to the back of the drawer now!!

[@TheOisannNetwork]

Funny thing is; meshtastic is what got me into buying a 3D printer. :)

[@Level2Jeff]

Hobbies collide!

[@unRealityFPV]

This is definitely more what I imagined an offline mesh network being like

[@user-lh6iz6wh1u]

That was the main reason why I didn’t get into meshtastic - I needed my phone, with Bluetooth, and the device to even use it… I was really hoping it was like a walk-in talkie, where it works on its own device within relying on a phone….

[@anthonyrussano]

t thank you for covering this. I've been really trying to wrap my head around where to find this type of device

[@darknessblades]

That Lilygo device would be amazing for Home-assistant.

[@0xKruzr]

do you mean as a remote control/status display?

[@id104335409]

While its cool, I think the only way this can get super wide adoption is if mobile phones add the meshtastic frequency and protocols so that you can access meshtastic straight from your phone.

[@theLuigiFan0007Productions]

I mean, the modems ARE definitely capable of those frequencies. And since a majority if not all the signal processing is done with software and FPGA like programmable logic... I'd say it could bee implemented with a Modem and Modem DSP firmware update. The cell band includes 800MHz and 900MHz... and the transmit power is adjustable. It's possible..... but on paper and actual implementation are a nightmare apart. Though if it were my choice, yeah, I'd make it mandatory all phones can have the ability to send off-grid messages to each other.

[@id104335409]

@@theLuigiFan0007Productions I think Nokia had a phone model that can make calls directly if bith phones are close together and cell providers were like HEEELL NAAAAH!

[@trueriver1950]

​@@theLuigiFan0007Productions In a non capitalist world yeah But under our present competitive conditions with huge corporations running everything for their own benefit I can just see the big networks lobbying against any such legislation. 😮

[@bloodaxecastle]

The Blueberry lives!

[@KooTheGreat]

I am actively working on making a T9 version of this (pretty much). I agree that these devices should be stand alone, unless you need nodes. However, i personally don't like the size of this one. It is good for wide adoption, not so great for comfortable pocketing while in a disaster situation.

[@djneo92nl]

I love mine. Been using for a bit and the firmware is getting better. Last few builds are exactly stable :D

[@DougGrinbergs]

Reminded of a former software engineering manager who opined on the difference between a program and a (professional) product

[@turbo2ltr]

I have one I built with 8Ah battery and GPS. But I agree the UI is garbage and barely usable, basically requires the app if you want to actually use it. I've built several for friends. Tuscon area has a pretty active network..

[@leonoliveira8652]

That's great! I'm working on making a portable raspberry based handheld, it probably can work with that - I actually wanted to expand it into a radio compatible thing and maybe even a gsm compatible thing. Now I think I might need that handheld thing too. At least that's easier - expensive, but easier.

[@phillipj1135]

I was introduced to the concept by a science fiction novel called "pushing Ice" and it seem like it should have been the first iteration of the technology to make any device stand alone.

[@seanp2k617]

Awesome project, Meshtastic has needed something like this for a while. It’d be great to see some company make a super-legit IP-rated device like this with a real aluminum shell, proper weather sealing, excellent keyboard, replaceable battery, etc. I feel like a lot of custom kbd mfgs already have the tooling and know-how to fab and produce such a device, just a matter of demand and someone willing to invest upfront to run a batch or two, then get them out there and get folks excited. I personally don’t mind the current separate device thing for hiking where I already have a great and fast phone with an awesome typing experience, but kids and normies definitely appreciate devices like this. There used to be some kids toy that was a text messenger with a monochrome display, looks like it was called the Casio Secret Sender, and that used infrared to do this in the 90s. Electronic Arts made the Zender and Tiger had Super Data Blasters. I think there were some later on that could connect to AOL Instant Messenger TOC servers if I recall correctly as well. Definitely a tried and true concept if it can be brought to market for a reasonable price. Thanks for shouting this project out. Definitely consider sponsoring it if you want them to work more on it :)

[@mt-qc2qh]

I was thinking the same when I recently saw the M5 Cardputer. They almost produced a useable handheld. If it weren't for the cheesy little display, Just add the lora radio and gps and the esp32-s3 is a very capable core. I like what you just found.

[@Dr.Dawson]

The form factor is correct I’d agree but wow they have work to do to make this user friendly. Imagine grandma kettle in a panic during a flood trying to use either to get help. Poor granny. Really cool tech though.

[@randaldavis8976]

Looking at Winlink for longer range comms. Meshtastic is cool, but you are right, needs to be simplified for the masses

[@mograms]

Thank you for creating a nice doc for installing that ✨

Great video. Have been following some Facebook group for where they put up those and even bought some for my self but only some smal cheap one. Haven't got them up and running yet but will in the future. The mesh technique is very interesting and even some phones should be able to do something similar when the phone towers went out. Maybe you look into that later or someone here can point to some who knows more about the mobile mesh thing.

[@idlevalley]

Thank you for the actual subtitles :)

[@bhhenry]

In this world, survival means connection, and you’re building more than a machine-you’re building hope. The T-Deck, that’s a beacon for the ones left behind when the grid falls, when the lights go out. You see the cracks in the system, but you don't stop. You *can't* stop. That firmware, the wretched UI-it’s the engine of chaos, but you’re tuning it, shaping it into something stronger. No more waiting for rescue, no more relying on broken promises. You're not just a survivor, you're a commander. Each node you build, each connection you create-it’s a step closer to freedom, closer to a future where the powerless rise. And when it’s done, you won’t need a network; *you’ll* be the network.

[@Atylonisus]

Ew i don't want to send messages on my Henry i didn't sign up for this cyborg shi

[@Wesrl]

I feel like the goal of this was to push the devs to focus more on this type of tech

[@mihalis68]

I love this. I looked at the meshtastic home page during hurricane Helene when all comms were down in the Asheville area and meshtastic chatter sprung up on mastodon. I’m nowhere near there but here in NYC we’ve had certain other events where this might be good to have. As you say, it’s not yet consumer ready - board, parts lists. Prebuilt items with a GUI would help me make a start. I tried ordering tdeck plus.First thing I don’t understand: the ordering page asks me what frequency I want. I guess I’ll try and find out that before ordering some device from a long way away!

[@Level2Jeff]

In us, do the 868 MHz model. That could also be more clear on the lilygo site!

[@apachie2k]

Completely agree!! There needs to be real end user ease of use for adoption to increase. It can be a real useful tool, but is in its beginning stages. I was thinking the same exact way.

[@JamesColeman]

Just a note, you want the 915 MHz version, not 868 MHz in the US.

[@Level2Jeff]

Oops! You're right, was looking at the wrong page while writing my blog post.

[@JamesColeman]

@@Level2Jeff No worries, I was looking at the page and noted the different models so I was curious as to what the difference was. It seems the other versions are for the European market and 915 MHz is the North America market.

[@MattLitkeRacing]

I like it. But I’ll wait for a more updated version

[@thecivilizedgamer2533]

I saw your name on the Meshtastic forums the other day, and did a double take 😂

[@DoctorX17]

Oh, cool, that is indeed exactly what I envisioned for Meshtastic! I want off-grid comms for hiking in remote areas with zero cell service and no wall power, so a BlackBerry-sized device like that with a high battery is exactly what I had in mind. Now I have a buy option :) personally I’m gonna make my own but if I need to equip a few people quickly, buying a compatible thing is great

[@PazLeBon]

starlink

[@DoctorX17]

@ power consumption would be insanely high compared to a tiny phone sized mesh device… not ideal if you’re hiking with no power generation outside of maybe a small solar panel

[@PazLeBon]

@@DoctorX17 small power packs can handle 30 watts or so. youd be on basically a pager whilst im organising the new free world on yourube

[@funkfound]

I completely disagree that that device will lead to more adoption. The problem is 1 people don't know it exist and 2 it's not simple enough. It needs to be dumbed down to the point people don't have to think about it and it just works. That's when you'll get wide spread adoption.

[@Level2Jeff]

That's the point, though-if you hand someone a T-Deck with the new UI with a list of 'new messages' and a list of chats... they can pick it up and start figuring it out right away (assuming the UI bugs get squashed). Hand them a V3 or some other node, and good luck getting them interested if they're not already fascinated by the hobby/fun of it!

[@Peter_Enis]

@@Level2Jeff The problem is the number of nodes. If all cellphones themselves could be used as a node.... that would make things a lot easier as a mesh-network. If FEMA or some other 3 or 4-letter organisation could link the network to an external internet-accespoint in case of an emergency than the problem would be solved. If there is a disaster and you have line of sight to (a balloon for example with) a node things would look a lot different in accepting this type of comms. Naturally every household should have nodes with backup batteries to last a few days.... but getting that organised is a lot harder than solving worldpeace 😁

[@michaelray282]

Agree as of now, but it's on the right track with tdeck plus. Once firm and UI is stable with the new simpler UI it will finally be an option to hand over to a non-enthusiast....well at least for a main "network architect" to set up a network and hand out some end user devices

[@-someone-.]

@@Peter_Enisgood luck getting fema to help you🤦‍♂️

[@Peter_Enis]

@@-someone-. I understand your point of view.....but they have the funds and the equipment. So if there is a local chapter of Fema in your city perhaps funds are available to organise this. Selfreliance and relaince on a group of trusted likeminded is ofcourse the best. But good luck getting that organised in a bigger city.

[@darrenhanson3875]

I've been watching meshtastic almost since it originally started. I would like to set one up where I live. I'm in a rv park that's right at a recreational area that's very popular in spring and summer in Oregon near Poland. One is I don't have a computer just android tablet and phone. If you could just use that to setup and manage I would put one in. I would also start like buying one er two a month and start placing them all over the town I live in with solar panels running them..........Hope it gets a little more turn key soon!

[@MrMunkyMeat]

When I first saw the T-Deck, I started thinking about the idea of a MANET and possible ways of integrating meshtastick into that. That is a rabbit hole you might appreciate.

[@dodrian]

Thanks for sharing this, I'm super interested in trying this!

[@TKSubDude]

When meshtastic gets their UI standerdized I'll get in on it. I like the T-deck bu it's still arcane.

[@hugoortega195]

most people have a phone and are familiar with using it If its that hard to setup then it doesn't work for the use you specified, this thing shoudl be plug and play, with a UI interface that allows for one button setup and seamless interaction with any network or wireless device If this is supposed to be an emergency or off grid system then you have to be flexible to thepeople who are gonna use it. Keep working on it.

[@mediocreman2]

Since the price was never mentioned once in the video, for those people watching, it's currently $57. And then it gets significantly more expensive as you add things like an antenna.

[@zxttgg]

I have been thinking of this via LORA for long time, we need a standard of protocol so DIYer can make their own device to join.

[@nerfherder4284]

There is actually a use case for having both of those pices of tech. The small node should be permanently affixed somewhere, maybe on a pile or in the attic, this acts as a network node. The handheld device will use the other node to connect as you take it on the go. If everyone only had the handheld devices the network wouldn't be resilient or reliable to others. The small nodes are really very cheap and you can use them to communicate to your home computer through your portable handheld unit

[@jonjohnson2844]

KZbinr Andy Kirby has tons of meshtastic videos on his channel if anyone is interested, tons of real world tests as well as explaining a lot of the shortcomings.

[@VeniVV]

I just need a UI to work for my T-Deck Plus that showed up in the mail today

[@civicsr2cool]

I want an e ink touchscreen only mesh phone, maybe I’ll try that with this new ui!

[@MyTube4Utoo]

I was able to easily get an 8000mAh battery into my T-Deck case. I did have to move the internal speaker, though.

[@littlebit670]

I didn’t know about Meshtastic before this, it reminds me of Pictochat from the DS/DSi

[@kensutherland5270]

In a follow up video could you explain the 3 different lora frequencies, want to buy and support but didn't know which frequency was OK for UK

[@JaimesonLaLone]

LoRa frequencies depends on what is legally allowed in your area. I believe 915 MHz is for North America, 868 and 433 are for Europe

[@dafoex]

Most people use 868 MHz in the UK, but 433 is legal, too.

[@lunarthief6501]

Just ordered parts to build something similar. Its easy to hook up a keyboard to these devices.

[@peterholthoffman]

You are 100% correct!

[@realandrewhatfield]

No outro?! Who is this guy and who will he be until the next time?!

[@BrightBlueJim]

This is Jeff Geerling's second or maybe third KZbin channel, for more in-depth technical videos than his main channel. Main channel is kzbin.info

[@gugbust]

as a fellow jeff i approve of this jeff that is all

[@Badg0r]

I started with this last week and there are almost no nodes where I live. I'm going to upgrade the antenna and put the antenna on top of my roof.

[@minigpracing3068]

I'm still really confused about something. Are these endpoints, relays, or both? Can you put up a node that does nothing but relay to form a network for endpoints like a Tdeck? And how big can this get? I've seen some of Andy Kirby's videos where they have been getting "clogged" in some ares because of a larger number of users. Obviously I haven't spent enough time reading on this subject, but I've see a few videos on solar powered nodes and I could cover a large area to the north (half way up a hill) if I put a node up on the roof. Kind of interested but haven't chased all the info down.

[@glabifrons]

You're asking the right questions. I'm still waiting on my gear to get started, but from my understanding, everything that is on a Meshtastic network can be either a relay or a node or both. I'm not sure how useful a T-deck will be as a relay because it's likely to be moving, where the smaller device would be great as a relay if you place it somewhere where it can get a good signal. Relays aren't just for the person that owns it, they expand the network so others can reach it too. Yes, it'll let your phone connect to others over LoRa, but it also lets people that can reach you, but not other relays or nodes, actually get to those relays or nodes. I hope that makes sense. With that in mind, I'm not sure I agree with Jeff that people should go get T-decks instead of the other device. At least until this hits a critical mass, we need people to either get both, or install the app on their phones so they can connect to the smaller/cheaper relay device via Bluetooth or wifi. I hope I'm wrong, but my understanding is it's far more popular over in Europe than it is in the US, with Jeff's location being one of the exceptions. I'll know more once I get mine set up. I'm also in a hilly area, so I will likely be blocked connecting to the North or North-West. If someone is to my South-West or my East who can connect to their North, that would close that gap for me.

[@randomalleycat]

I like that TDeck case! 😉

[@Nuanceishard]

This is what i needed to get one

[@0xKruzr]

was going to ask if you had advice as to how to use the new UI since the project seems to be going out of its way to prevent people from using it because they dont think it's "ready yet," as though the "vanilla" firmware were "ready." 😅 thanks for the writeup!

[@mejesster]

Now t-decks are going to be even more difficult to get

[@6LordMortus9]

Either I set mine up wrong, or there are no other nodes where I am. Kind of sucks to be the only one in my area interested in it. (if that is the case)

[@mikeburke7028]

Someone's got to be first I guess, but I hope you get some nodes soon.

[@Level2Jeff]

Yeah for the first month or so I made zero contacts (besides my dad). But since then two other people popped online in my area, and we started a local discord for STL. See if there's anything regional for your area, worst case you can take a node around town and see if you pick up any other nodes that way!

[@danhuisjen2092]

I wonder if a touch screen keyboard might be more reliable than the mechanical one. Plus, add a solar panel to the other side, so it has some ability to self charge.

[@aijokker]

This technology should be in every phone, than it will work

[@stevelopez867]

Mobile providers have no motive - it lacks any monthly revenue stream. It would require federal mandate - which would be great for national resilience in face of emergency. But trumpers and libertarians would go crazy if federal government required it.

[@aijokker]

@@stevelopez867 this must be done by phone companies, not mobile providers, they will never do something like this

[@smolapril]

@@aijokker when it comes to emergency stuff, my only hope is Apple. they already have satellite SOS system in their latest models. hope they would add this in the future.

[@aijokker]

@@smolapril I think android also has it

[@slickheisenberg8208]

I have a completely different opinion: nodes + phones are the way to go. Everyone has a phone. Phones have great UX and apps for mobile can be quickly developed with mature toolkits and APIs. The pool of developers that have sufficient experience developing for mobile is significantly larger compared to the embedded community. The toolkits for GUI development on embedded exist, but the developer experience is so much nicer on mobile. Especially in a disaster context it would be way easier and cheaper to hand out nodes that connect via Bluetooth to the phone that already exists in someone’s pocket, than have them learn the intricate UX of an embedded device that is maintained by a handful of developers. Still, I believe these fully integrated nodes have a reason to exist. The first thing I would replace is the LCD screen for an epaper display to reduce power consumption. Especially in a disaster type situation, you want a device that lasts for days or even weeks on a single charge.

[@Maxtraxv3]

when they flesh it out, hope we can see whole video on it.

[@monasch8821]

Nice beepers are back