German tech magazine c't (heise) has dedicated a YouTube video to MeshCore: "MeshCore: So kommuniziert ihr auch beim Blackout!" (MeshCore: how to stay in touch during a blackout). That is exactly why we are building a network here in Austria – when a blackout hits, mobile networks and the internet go down fast. With MeshCore you can still exchange messages, without any internet connection at all. In the roughly 22-minute video (in German), c't editor Andrijan Möcker explains the key basics.
What the video covers
According to its chapter list, the video covers the complete introduction – from the technology to the setup:
- 2:28 What is MeshCore?
- 3:09 LoRa – the radio technology behind it
- 3:50 Range and usage
- 5:03 Devices and their roles in the mesh
- 6:35 Routing
- 7:30 MeshCore compared to Meshtastic
- 8:35 Regions
- 9:18 How secure is MeshCore?
- 10:47 What is a Room Server?
- 11:30 What you need for MeshCore
- 14:14 Setting up the software
- 20:05 Further tips
Getting started in Austria
If the video made you want to get going, here is everything you need to join the Austrian network:
- Hardware: Recommended boards in our hardware overview
- Setup: Step by step for Android and iPhone
- Build a repeater: Guide to setting up a repeater – every additional repeater extends the range for everyone
- Firmware: Flash easily with the official MeshCore flasher
- Node naming: Our AT-DISTRICT-NAME scheme makes nodes easy to find on the map
- Live map: See who is already on air near you on our node map