A working notebook for a small Meshtastic deployment running the LongFast modem preset. Mostly for my own reference — range data, hardware notes, things that broke, things that didn't.
If you're new: Meshtastic is an open-source mesh networking project built on cheap LoRa radios. Nodes form an ad-hoc mesh and forward each other's text messages and telemetry, no internet or cell service needed. LongFast is the default preset — 250 kHz bandwidth, SF11, ~1.07 kbps over the air. It's the right balance of range and throughput for general-purpose meshes.
This isn't an official site for anything. Just personal logs. If something here is wrong, it's because I haven't fixed it yet.
| Node | Hardware | Power | Mount | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOME | Heltec V3 | USB / UPS | Indoor, attic dipole | up |
| TREE-01 | RAK4631 + RAK19007 | 10W solar + 6 Ah LiFePO₄ | Coastal redwood, ~38 m AGL | up |
| RIDGE | T-Beam v1.2 | 6W solar + 18650 ×2 | Hilltop, fence-mast | up |
| GARAGE | Heltec V3 | USB | Indoor, eave antenna | intermittent |
This is the one I'm proudest of. A RAK4631 + solar charger board sealed in a small NEMA-rated enclosure, hauled into a redwood in the Santa Cruz Mountains using an arborist throw-line and a 2:1 mechanical advantage. It sits roughly 38 metres above ground, well into the canopy but with a useful gap to the south-east.
Power is a 10 W panel (oversized on purpose — redwood canopies are dark) feeding a 6 Ah LiFePO₄ pack via a Victron MPPT. Power budget below has been comfortably positive even through three weeks of marine layer in May. Battery has not dipped below 78% since deployment.
The hardest part wasn't the climb or the radio — it was getting the antenna oriented vertically and keeping it there as the tree moves in wind. Ended up with a short fibreglass mast lashed to a stable side branch, with the antenna on a U-bolt and a tether-leash so a failed lashing doesn't drop hardware on someone's car.
Not posting GPS. If you're local and want to coordinate mesh coverage, get in touch via the contact below.
Cheaper, simpler, and frankly does most of the heavy lifting on the local mesh. T-Beam in a weatherproof junction box, 6 W panel, two protected 18650s. Fence-mounted at maybe 4 m. Surprising range west toward the coast because the ridge happens to face the right way.
Indoor anchors. HOME runs MQTT-uplinked so I can see the mesh from anywhere; GARAGE is intermittent because it's behind too much stucco and I keep meaning to move the antenna outside.
Contact: mesh [at] longfast [dot] uk. I read it occasionally.