Meshtastic Hardware

Most Meshtastic users choose a handheld radio as their first transceiver.  These battery-powered devices are usually designed to be paired to a mobile phone, tablet, or PC and tethered using the Meshtastic mobile app or web client.

A few examples:

• MakerNova: Heltec V3, V4, T-Deck, T114 kits

• Meshnology: N35, N37/Wio L1 e-Ink, 

• PeakMesh: Magnet Mover

• Seeed Studio: Tracker L1 Pro, SenseCAP Card Tracker T1000-E

Outdoor nodes mounted to a roof or exterior wall, chimney, or antenna mast, or placed high up in a tree, strengthen the mesh by providing broad coverage up to the neighborhood level.  A majority of outdoor nodes are fully or primarily solar-powered.

A few examples:

• Elecrow:  ThinkNode M6

• PeakMesh: Altitude, Birdhouse, Magnet Climber, Micromag

• RAK: WisMesh Repeater Mini

• Seeed Studio: SenseCAP Solar P1 Pro

While technically any Meshtastic device can (but probably shouldn't) operate with the Repeater or Router roles, there are specialized variants designed for long-term unattended installation, high duty cycles, and extended runtime.

A few examples:

• RAK: WisMesh Repeater, Wi-Fi and Ethernet MQTT Gateways

⚠️  Always coordinate with your local mesh prior to configuring any node with a Repeater or Router role.  These nodes can significantly disrupt mesh performance if not carefully placed in an optimal location.

Antenna gain describes how effectively an antenna concentrates radio energy in certain directions.  It does not create extra power. Instead, it redirects more of the available signal toward some areas and less toward others -- usually forward vs. up and down.

Gain works in both directions.  On transmit, the antenna directs more of the radio’s signal toward useful areas.  On receive, it is more effective at picking up signals arriving from those same directions.  This can help two nodes hear each other more reliably.

Gain is measured in dBi.  A higher number does not guarantee better performance everywhere.  Terrain, buildings, height, cable loss, and antenna orientation can matter just as much as gain.

Some antennas send and receive signals in many directions, while others concentrate signals toward a particular area.  An omnidirectional antenna is useful for communicating with nodes located around you.  A directional antenna can provide greater range in one direction but may perform poorly behind or beside it.

Most Meshtastic antennas are omnidirectional, emitting power equally in all directions.  Directional antennas are available for special applications like point-to-point links.

Polarization describes the orientation of the radio wave.  Most Meshtastic handheld and fixed-node antennas are vertically polarized, so they work best when held upright.  If one antenna is vertical and one is horizontal, the signal may be much weaker.

In the United States, unlicensed Meshtastic users normally operate in the 902–928 MHz band under FCC Part 15.  The limit is up to 1 watt (30 dBm) of transmitter power when using an antenna with no more than 6 dBi of gain.  An antenna with more than 6 dBi may be used, but the transmitter power must be reduced by one dB for every dB of additional antenna gain.

Licensed amateur radio operators may instead operate under FCC Part 97.  Because Meshtastic uses a spread-spectrum signal, the Part 97 transmitter limit is 10 watts.  Part 97 does not impose the same 6 dBi antenna-gain limit, so a licensed ham may use a higher-gain antenna without reducing power.  Most Meshtastic boards produce considerably less than 10 watts.

Compact antennas are designed to fit inside a case or remain close to the radio.  They make a Meshtastic node easier to carry and protect, but their small size and nearby electronics can reduce performance.

An internal antenna may work well for short-range communication, especially in open areas.  For longer range, an external antenna mounted higher and farther away from metal, batteries, and electronic components will usually perform better.

Most LoRa boards are equipped with U.FL connections.  Antenna connections are made via short coaxial "pig tails" with either SMA or N type hookups.  The Meshtastic website has some great information about LoRa antennas and their performance.

A gain antenna improves performance by concentrating more of the radio signal in certain directions. It does not create extra power.  Gain antennas send more signal outward toward the horizon and less straight up or down.

This can improve communication with distant nodes at about the same height.  However, a higher-gain antenna is not always better.  It may perform poorly with nodes located far above or below it, such as on a mountain, in a valley, or on a tall building.

Antenna gain is different from amplification.  It makes the antenna more sensitive in some directions and less sensitive in others. This can improve reception from distant nodes, but it also makes noise sources in those same directions stronger.

Amplifiers electronically increase the strength of signals entering or leaving a radio.  They do not distinguish between useful signals and unwanted ones, so a receive amplifier may strengthen interference and noise along with the signal.  Amplifiers can also overload a receiver if nearby signals are already strong.

An RF band-pass filter allows only a selected range of frequencies to reach the radio.  It can reduce interference from strong transmitters operating outside the band, such as nearby broadcast, cellular, or paging equipment.  It can't remove interference that falls within the same frequency range as the desired signal, such as other 900 MHz Part 15 devices.

See our page on improving node performance.