Welcome steve. Nice to meet you on meshcore. Maybe do a fresh post and let us know everything about what you’ve done give everyone a little inspiration and helps others aim their nodes to the correct direction
Haha. Sorry I cut myself off prematurely in the first thread. Edited it now.
So far, I’ve got nodes up on the northwest side of Lank Rigg, the northwest side of Knock Murton, and the south side of Barnholm. We’re picking up a lot of traffic from down south, but it’s all one-way for now. There’s also a group over in Northern Ireland that I’m trying to connect to — that’s why I set up the Barnholm node — but it looks like we’re just out of reach at the moment.
I’m a bit of a tinkerer (or madman, depending who you ask!), so most of my nodes are pretty “homemade” — 3D-printed cases, solar bits, the lot. If you’d like to see more of what I’ve been up to, have a look at my site: meshcorecumbria.co.uk — I’ve just updated it this morning with my latest escapades.
2 Likes
What have you got up steve and where at ? How many of yous are messing about with meshcore round here ?
Is there just you doing it @Steve ? Anyone else local got them ? Most of us were on meshtastics but rf it was crap I had to build us a public mqtt server that helped but pretty boring just using internet to link them
Up to now I’ve been doing most of this on my own, but my mate over in Beckermet has started getting interested and setting up a few nodes too. We both tried Meshtastic for a while, but it proved far too unreliable — and once you start linking everything through MQTT, it begins to feel a bit redundant anyway.
My goal with building a Cumbria MeshCore network was twofold: first, to create a solid foundation for like-minded people to get involved and expand the mesh; and second, to have a system that could still operate if the poop hits the spinning blades — power cuts, internet outages, the lot.
I also wanted a way to link directly into my smart home without depending on the internet, giving me local control even when everything else is down. That’s a work in progress but i’m getting there.
On top of that, I’ve set up (still very much a beta project) a node connected to ChatGPT, which lets anyone have a conversation with it over LoRa — even if they don’t have an internet connection themselves. If you’d like to give it a go, the link’s below.
1 Like
That’s awsome that steve. Question how does the chat gpt work say if the full internet went out ? Wonder if you have seen them self hosted nodes ?
I’ve had a MC node running here and not had a peep out of it. Not an ideal location I know but today has had some amazing propagation and I’m seeing nodes down to Cornwall. Totally unreliable but interesting.
I’m loathed to have 2 unconnected systems as well as ‘normal’ RF. I’m happy to have hybrid solutions like matrix>MT or MC where the message is on my phone and gets passed to a LoRa device.
It’ll be a shame for either or both to have users invest in gear only for networks to be silent. MT suffers with that, just like some repeaters.
Hi alex. Make sure you put the node in narrow EU UK mode. Its best having a repeater and a client
Ha ha, well the short answer is it wouldn’t. It was more a fun project rather than a functional tool. Although it’s handy for testing your connection. I suppose it wouldn’t take much to link it to a local run llm with a bit of tinkering.
I’ve not seen the self hosted nodes. How do they function?
1 Like
Hi all. new to ccq, ive been reading up on meshcore for a good few months, im down in Broughton Cross with a heltec v3 in my window. I pretty much have visual line of sight over to Broughton Dump but im pretty sure im in a bit of a deadspot with the tiny antenna on the v3 so i havent picked up any contacts yet.
1 Like
Hi, welcome to the fun 
What antenna are you using ? Might be worth while you setting 1 node up for a repeater firmware and putting as high as you can then setup a client. Make sure you set the preset Frequecny to UK Narrow too. On the radios dont have any coax because at 800mhz there is huge loss.
A Antenna like this Bingfu 868MHz LoRa Antenna Weatherproof 3dBi Fiberglass N Type Male LoRaWAN Antenna With 3M ALSR240 Cable for RAK Nebra Bobcat HNT Helium Hotspot Miner SyncroBit LoraWan Gateway Lora Module Repeater: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories
Connected direct to some of these is good Boobrie SMA to N Type Adapter Kit 4PCS 4G Antenna Adapter SMA Female/Male to N Male/Female Connector Signal Booster Connector N Type for CB Radio WiFi Antenna Wirelesse WiFi Router: Amazon.co.uk: Business, Industry & Science
Feel free to reply and ask questions.
Cheers
Lee
Cheers Lee.
Yeah im going to have to have a look at switching the antenna, it’s just a little nubbin thing that sticks out about a thumbs length. I’m not a licenced radio operator but it’s something i’ve thought about doing for a few years. Ive spent a fair amount of time with SDR’s and long wires, but the technicalities of antennas is something that is still in the realms of witchcraft.
Thing is im not sure an omni directional antenna would be worth it where i currently am due to georgraphy and maybe a directional aiming towards ccq’s repeater might be the better idea.
Ive just done a plot between where i roughly am and where ccq’s meshcore node is, with my current location im in the valley above the river derwent:
1 Like
One of the repeaters is in Broughton moor. The others workington and up the hills. Maybe a directional to either side might help. Omni from broughton cross might work the little antenna won’t do much. We have a radio club at workington and your more then welcome to attend you dont need to be licenced ham, lota is also radio. Its on tonight at 7pm till 9 ish at moorclose centre. If you want to come i can meet you outside as the room is hard to find
Forgot to say. Most of the location data on the map is not accurate somemof the nodes are not exactly where there shown.
Hi, thanks for the invite. I run a class on wednesday nights so i would have to try work out with my students a day change to be able to attend on Wednesdays. I’ll have a look at grabbing an omni, ive seen a 6db omni 868 online. See if i can bung it in the loft or onto the drainpipe or something.
No problem at all. Its not every Wednesday its 1st and 3ed Wednesday of the month
Good luck
@MM7FGU how you getting on with your node Dave
Well… living like a mole in a hole and surrounded by rather large hills, its going to be a struggle. I’m experimenting with a 12.5db yagi and rg8 feeder but its the hills that are really spoiling the tx/rx…. a couple of screen shots with the required antenna height above my hole.
antenna heights, 9 meters and 15 meters. (even the 15M mast gives a vey low signal into Cumbria, and any replies would have to shout very very loudly). I’ve been studying the maps and just cant see any single extra repeater doing the trick, at my last line of sights I would need at least 3 more (I’ve already spent the kids / wifes inheritance) anyway a Heltec V4 is on order which is capable of 1W output, not that I would ever ever use that amount of db’s, lol.