A couple of months ago, I did a video exploring off-grid communication tools—things you can rely on when the power goes out and cellular networks fail. In that piece, I touched on amateur radio, Starlink, and even the emergency satellite messaging features found on some smartphones. But the comments section lit up with one recurring question: what about Meshtastic?
At the time, I hadn’t tried Meshtastic, but I’ve since jumped in and found that it’s surprisingly affordable and simple to get started. I demonstrate what I’ve learned so far in my latest video.
Two folks deserve some credit for nudging me into this project: Josh from Ham Radio Crash Course, whose video walkthroughs make setup very approachable, and my friend Steve (KM9G) from the Temporary Offline Ham Radio YouTube channel. Their guidance helped streamline the experience.
I started with a three-pack of cheap Heltec V3 boards on Amazon (compensated affiliate link). These little devices let you send text messages across a mesh network without needing a license or any centralized infrastructure. They operate on license-free spectrum here in the U.S., which lowers the barrier to entry quite a bit.
Setting up the firmware turned out to be a point-and-click affair thanks to the official Meshtastic flasher tool. I plugged the board into my Mac, selected the firmware, and let the browser based app do its thing. From there, I paired it with an Android phone over Bluetooth, configured the region and radio settings, and I was off and running. Messaging between phones through the radios was straightforward, and the system supports both public and private chats. If two radios are out of range, an intermediary node can relay the message—this is the mesh part of Meshtastic.
Right now, I don’t have any users nearby, so like many YouTubers covering this topic I’ve mostly been talking to myself between radios. But there’s a site called meshmap.net where you can see active nodes in your area, and some locations have thriving communities with overlapping coverage. The key to Meshtastic working well is density—more nodes in more places make for a more robust network.
As I played around with this, it got me thinking about the amateur radio world again. APRS, for example, works in a similar way to Meshtastic but operates on licensed spectrum with greater power and reach. APRS is also far more active than Meshtastic currently is. I receive dozens of APRS messages an hour from my home in Connecticut. Using my amateur radio gear, I was able to send and receive packets over a 30-mile range using about 50 watts of power. I even picked up signals from as far as Long Island via APRS, and on the HF bands my messages reached parts of Georgia and the Canary Islands through apps like VARAC. Sometimes they go even further.
Getting started in amateur radio is a lot less intimidating than it might seem. The technician license is the entry point, and if you’re capable of flashing a Meshtastic node, you’re probably capable of passing that exam. There is no longer a morse code requirement. Sites like hamstudy.org make it easy to prep and even test remotely via Zoom. I currently have a General license which gets me access to more HF bands for long distance data communications.
For now, I’ll keep experimenting with both Meshtastic and amateur radio. There’s something really compelling about these alternative communication methods, especially as open-source communities continue to expand what’s possible. Maybe one day I’ll find somebody to chat with on it!