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Welcome to Greater Ottawa Mesh Enthusiasts!
About
Welcome to the Ottawa mesh group! See the info below for default frequencies, and please join our Discord to chat with us.
Both MeshCore and Meshtastic are protocols that run on top of LoRa radios. LoRa (Long Range) is a low-power modulation suited to long-distance links at modest data rates. By building on LoRa, both systems enable decentralized, low-cost community networks.
Most of the city is currently running MeshCore with some Meshtastic presence scattered around. We have roughly 50 static MeshCore repeaters around the region, linking Carleton Place, Ashton, Stittsville, Kemptville, Kanata, Barrhaven, Westboro, Downtown, Old Ottawa South, Vanier, Orléans, and areas near Cumberland.
If you’re interested in playing an active role in the community, we’re always looking for volunteers. Reach out to MrAlders0n with what you’d like to help with.
Community Outreach
- Spread the word on social media (e.g., Reddit, Facebook, TikTok), put posters up around the community
Community Support
- Welcoming new users in the discord and answering any questions they have
Fabrication Team
- For people who want to be involved in custom PCB design
Knowledge Curators
- Maintain wiki content
Tower Tech
- People who like to climb stuff, help install/maintain repeaters
MeshCore vs Meshtastic
Meshtastic is a peer-to-peer mesh where every node can forward traffic, making it flexible for ad-hoc use but prone to congestion in larger networks. Because it relies on nodes that are typically moving, coverage can also be unreliable and sporadic.
MeshCore relies on fixed repeaters for routing, providing a more stable and scalable backbone for city-wide coverage.
MeshCore
To get started and connect to the mesh, begin with a companion node. Pick a build that fits your needs, then flash MeshCore companion firmware to the device.
From there, you can explore repeaters builds and mounting options to expand coverage and strengthen the Ottawa mesh.
Getting Started
Hardware
Configuration
- Flashing a companion node
- Flashing a Repeater node
- Flashing a room server
- Recommended Repeater Build Instructions
- MeshCore to Discord using Meshcore-HA
- Compiling Wifi Firmware for Heltek v3
- Compiling RAK4631 firmware with a Custom Display
MeshCore Packet Analyzer
Ottawa Deployment
Meshtastic
The Meshtastic section is a work-in-progress
Useful Resources
- Austin Mesh – Useful information and real-world testing of mesh nodes
- Cold Weather Charging of Lithium-Ion Batteries – A great write-up on repeater performance in extreme cold with LiPos
This wiki is maintained by the Greater Ottawa Mesh Enthusiasts to provide information and track deployments.