Meshtastic, is anyone using it in New Zealand?

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#3198159 21-Feb-2024 10:11

@rp1790 One other thought - someone else has expressed an intent to switch on another node in the Wellington CBD around lunchtime, so you may be able to see (and potentially relay via) that one, as it will be closer to you than any of the other nodes. Worth a shot, anyway.

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#3198161 21-Feb-2024 10:17

Looks like prior record was held in NZ: https://meshtastic.org/docs/overview/range-tests/#previous-record-166km

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rp1790

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#3198386 21-Feb-2024 15:16

Erayd:

@rp1790 One other thought - someone else has expressed an intent to switch on another node in the Wellington CBD around lunchtime, so you may be able to see (and potentially relay via) that one, as it will be closer to you than any of the other nodes. Worth a shot, anyway.

I didn't see it (the Welly CBD node) but this has encouraged me to pull the trigger on a RakWireless starter kit and a LilyGo T-Beam which has a better looking antenna.

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#3198389 21-Feb-2024 15:25

Damn it, everyone that buys the RAK pushes me 1 step closer to doing the same ;-)

rp1790

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#3198391 21-Feb-2024 15:26

scottjpalmer: Damn it, everyone that buys the RAK pushes me 1 step closer to doing the same ;-)

I've heard of 27 others that bought one today.... :-)

Erayd

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#3198392 21-Feb-2024 15:27

scottjpalmer: Damn it, everyone that buys the RAK pushes me 1 step closer to doing the same ;-)

For what it's worth, they're on my shopping list too. I want them as the final radio for my solar sites, due to the much better power efficiency. I'm just not sure how many yet, so will order once I have figured that out.

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#3198397 21-Feb-2024 15:42

A bigger enclosure with solar panel that will run long term rather than just extend life would seal the deal. Can obviously build one but I love the cleanness of theirs as a factory built solution.

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Erayd

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#3198412 21-Feb-2024 15:48

scottjpalmer: A bigger enclosure with solar panel that will run long term rather than just extend life would seal the deal. Can obviously build one but I love the cleanness of theirs as a factory built solution.

Yeah, the panel on that existing one just isn't good enough. Plus I want more battery than will fit in that enclosure; the intention is for my router nodes to be able to handle very high TX duty for many days on end, even if that need coincides with a significant period of bad weather. I'm mainly playing with this because it's fun, but it does serve dual-duty as an option for disaster comms - so provisioning the remote sites to handle a high load (well, as high as you can get with a simplex mesh that does flood routing, which isn't amazing) without falling over seems sensible.

richms

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#3199583 24-Feb-2024 20:01

Ive reflashed my tbeams that I got for helium trackers/mappers to have meshtastic on them, and set to NZ865 and am only seeing each other on it for now on long fast. Are people using any of the other configs at all?

Richard rich.ms

Erayd

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#3199584 24-Feb-2024 20:17

richms:

Ive reflashed my tbeams that I got for helium trackers/mappers to have meshtastic on them, and set to NZ865 and am only seeing each other on it for now on long fast. Are people using any of the other configs at all?

In the Wellington area, we've been playing on the 915MHz band channel 20 (so technically 919.875MHz), LongFast. Which part of the country are you in?

richms

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#3199585 24-Feb-2024 20:19

Erayd:

In the Wellington area, we've been playing on the 915MHz band channel 20 (so technically 919.875MHz), LongFast. Which part of the country are you in?

Auckland, Beach Haven.

One of mine says that it does the 800 and 900 on it, the other says 868 only, so not sure how it will go if I set it to 915. Will have a play tomorrow as I am done in the shed for the day.

Richard rich.ms

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#3202240 1-Mar-2024 21:00

Ok so they have been up for a while on 900MHz NZ, default long fast which shows a channel of 20, and no other devices have appeared.

This is with one of them upstairs and up quite high on a shelf that should give it excellent coverage up the harbour and also over towards west auckland. My helium in a lower shelf with its stock antenna was witnissing all the way out miles to the waitakaries so I guess there is noone else out there with a meshtastic here.

I have to get a ladder upstairs to get onto the roof to resilicone some parts before winter so at that time I will rip down the TV antennas and stick one of the antennas I got for helium on the pole and drop the wire down before gooing up the hole to stop the leak.

Richard rich.ms

Erayd

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#3202242 1-Mar-2024 21:07

richms:

Ok so they have been up for a while on 900MHz NZ, default long fast which shows a channel of 20, and no other devices have appeared.

I'm not sure who else is playing with it up your way. Down in the Wellington area, we have quite a few nodes on the 20/LongFast mesh (Including mine, I've seen 14 unique nodes so far). Contiguous coverage reaches most of Lower / Upper Hutt, and a good chunk of Wellington.

Perhaps nobody else is running it yet in your area in a location that has useful RF LOS to your premises?

richms

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#3202834 3-Mar-2024 18:00

I got some adapters from Jaycar today to connect the tbeams straight onto the antennas. Theyre inside for now with one on a fibreglass omni, and one on a yagi pointing towards the CBD. Not seen any others with RF yet but I have added the MQTT topic nz_915 on one of them and its showing a couple of others over MQTT.

Richard rich.ms

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#3205219 11-Mar-2024 08:21

Good to see https://meshmap.net getting more populated.

The relatively new Meshtastic NZ Facebook group is growing fast and getting some interesting posts and discussions.

A domain has been registered https://meshtastic.co.nz I'm sure the owner would be happy to take your suggestions on what you would like to see there. I can pass them on until contact details appear.

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