Stay on
Keep a node powered 24/7
A node that is always there is one the rest of the mesh can count on. Mains power or a small solar setup beats a radio that only wakes up when you use it.
Melbourne Meshtastic · 915–928 MHz
PULSE
Growing Melbourne’s mesh, together.
The mesh only works when we all stay connected.
Why a mesh needs you to stay on
Meshtastic radios pass messages for each other. A message from Box Hill can reach Footscray only if there are enough radios switched on, in good spots, in between. Every well-placed node that stays online gives everyone else more ways through.
More nodes on their own don’t fix that. A handful of nodes that are always on, up high and set up sensibly do more for the mesh than a crowd of radios that come and go, and too much traffic slows everyone down.
What Pulse sends back
Pulse bot 🤖 Hi Dave, receiving you via 2 hops. Keeping your node on helps grow the mesh. A human will reply when they're free.
Say hello on the public channel and TheClique will tell you it heard you, and how. To test your reach any time, send Pulse, please respond. How Pulse works
Three things that help most
Go up
Get the antenna high and clear
Height and a clear view matter more than anything you can buy. A window facing open sky beats a desk drawer; a roofline or balcony beats a window.
Keep it quiet
Share the airtime
Everyone shares one radio channel. Fewer automatic broadcasts, short messages and sensible settings leave room for the messages that matter.
What can I do for the mesh?
Answer a few quick questions about your node and get practical suggestions, with the reason each one helps. Nothing you choose leaves your browser.
New to Meshtastic?
A node is a small LoRa radio, usually paired with your phone. You set it to the Australian region, give it a name and it joins the mesh. Getting started covers the basics and points you to the official guides.