My son has been playing with this recently and thinks it has some value for emergency comms.
Basically it is a circuit board with an antenna that when plugged into your cell phone allows you to have encrypted text comms over the air. The encryption is supposed to be very good and can be set up in groups. In other words if you set it up so, everybody in your family or group can be on it and only them. If you set it between people only you and the other person can communicate.
You can also set up "nodes" which are like repeaters to get more distance. It's also fairly inexpensive if you just buy the parts and put it together yourself. He got involved in it when he saw files for 3D printing the cases. Basically all you need is the circuit board, antenna and a battery. Download the open source phone app and software to program it and you can then use your phone whether it has a cell or internet signal or not.
As soon as he gets his mesh network up and going he'll put me on it. If it works I plan on setting up a network up at the woods house/property.
And BTW, no restrictions or license is needed to run this. Completely open.
https://meshtastic.org/docs/introduction/
https://hackaday.com/2023/06/26/meshtas ... ater-good/
Meshtastic encrypted comms
Re: Meshtastic encrypted comms
My son brought it up to the woods house over the 4th. We tried it out on our phones.
The module it connected to your phone by Bluetooth and works through text. You don't need a phone signal or internet connection.
It got out to a little over half a mile in our tests.
I found it inconvenient to text while walking , riding or driving I think a radio is better for comms though not encrypted.
Interesting concept though which has possibilities.
The module it connected to your phone by Bluetooth and works through text. You don't need a phone signal or internet connection.
It got out to a little over half a mile in our tests.
I found it inconvenient to text while walking , riding or driving I think a radio is better for comms though not encrypted.
Interesting concept though which has possibilities.