Skip to main content

Meshtastic® · MeshMY

Join the mesh

Get your first node talking to the MeshMY community. Answer three questions and you’ll see only the steps you need. No licence needed on 919 MHz.

Your setup​

Do you have a Meshtastic radio yet?
What will you set it up from?
Do you hold a Malaysian amateur radio licence?

  1. Get a radio​

    Meshtastic runs on small, inexpensive radios. For a first , look for:

    • The 915 MHz version. That’s the one for MY_919. Radios are built for one band (433, 868 or 915 MHz), so check before you buy.
    • Bluetooth, so it pairs with your phone.
    • A battery, or a battery socket, so you can carry it.
    • A screen helps but is optional: it shows the pairing PIN and messages.

    Popular first radios: Heltec T114, LilyGO T-Echo, RAK WisBlock. Supported hardware ↗

  2. Install the app and pair​

    Get the Android appOr: iOS ↗ · Web ↗
    1. Turn on Bluetooth and open the Meshtastic app.
    2. Tap the + (or Connect) button and pick your radio from the list.
    3. Enter the PIN shown on the radio’s screen. Radios without a screen use 123456.

  3. Apply MeshMY’s settings​

    QR code with MeshMY's 919 MHz Meshtastic settingsScan in the Meshtastic app

    On this phone, tap Open in Meshtastic. On a computer, scan the code with the app instead. It sets everything below in one go.

    Open in Meshtastic
    MY_919919 MHz, licence-free
    Medium Fast
    MediumFastname left blank, default key
    OK to MQTT · Uplink · Downlink
    On

    This replaces your node’s channels and LoRa settings. That’s what you want on a new radio.

    Set it by hand instead

    Radio configuration → LoRa

    Region
    MY_919
    Modem preset
    Medium Fastwhat the rest of MeshMY uses
    3the default
    OK to MQTT
    Onlets gateways bridge your messages

    Radio configuration → Channels → primary channel

    Name
    (leave blank)it becomes “MediumFast”
    (leave the default)
    Both on

    Don’t create a custom channel or change the key: the default channel is what puts you on the air with everyone else.

  4. Be your own gatewayOptional​

    Most people skip this. With step 3 done, any nearby already relays your messages over for you.

    If your node is often out of range of a gateway, it can reach MQTT itself: through your phone, or over Wi-Fi on some radios. MQTT setup →

  5. Check you’re on the mesh​

    1. Open the Nodes list in the app. Other nodes appear as they announce themselves, usually within 15–30 minutes.
    2. Say hello on the MediumFast channel. A tick means another node heard you.
      Hello from Malaysia, new to the mesh!
    3. Look for your hello on MeshMY’s Telegram channel, @MalaysiaMeshtastic ↗. It relays what reaches MQTT, so seeing it there means a gateway carried your message.
    4. Find yourself on the community mesh map ↗. It shows nodes that reach MQTT, so allow up to an hour.

Something not working?​

No other nodes show up

Nodes announce themselves every so often, so give it 15–30 minutes. Check the region is MY_919 and the preset is Medium Fast. Then get higher or near a window: LoRa needs line of sight, and walls and hills block it. The network map on the homepage shows where the routers are.

The app says the region is unset

New radios ship with no region and won’t transmit until one is set. Apply the one-tap settings in step 3, or set Region to MY_919 by hand.

My messages don’t get a tick

A tick means another node acknowledged the message. No tick usually means no node heard you. Check the region and preset, and try from higher ground. If you’re out of radio range, a gateway (step 4) can carry your messages over MQTT.

I can’t pair the radio

Turn Bluetooth off and on, restart the radio, and remove any old pairing for it in your phone’s Bluetooth settings. On a computer, try another USB cable: many are charge-only.

I’m not on the community map

The map only shows nodes that reach MQTT, either through a nearby gateway or as your own gateway. Check OK to MQTT and uplink are on, then allow up to an hour.

Still stuck? Come to a meetup → or ask on GitHub ↗.

Words you’ll meet​

LoRa
Long-range, low-power radio. It carries short text messages for kilometres, with no SIM or internet.
Node
Any Meshtastic radio on the mesh: yours, a friend’s, or a hilltop router.
Mesh
Nodes pass each other’s messages along, so a message can hop far beyond one radio’s range.
Region
Which frequency band your radio uses. In Malaysia that’s MY_919 (anyone) or MY_433 (licensed hams only).
Modem preset
A bundle of radio settings trading range for speed. Everyone on a mesh must use the same one: MeshMY uses Medium Fast.
Channel
A group chat on the mesh. The default primary channel is named after the preset (“MediumFast”).
PSK
The channel’s encryption key. Leave the default so you can talk to everyone on the public channel.
Hops
How many times a message may be relayed. The default of 3 suits most people.
MQTT
An internet link between meshes. Gateways bridge radio messages to it, so you can reach nodes far out of radio range.
Gateway
A node with internet access that relays messages between the radio mesh and MQTT.
Uplink / downlink
Channel switches that let gateways send your messages up to MQTT, and bring MQTT messages down to you.