Why all the hype about Meshtastic and Meshcore nowadays in Amateur Radio? Is there really a hype in this regard? To answer the hype question I must honestly answer yes, if you look around you will literally find hundreds of videos and articles in this regard. I have been watching and reading quite a bit regarding these two entirely different open-source software projects since Meshtastic started a few years ago and Meshcore joined in later. A few local radio amateurs in the George area setup a few nodes and some information were exchanged amongst radio amateurs in the area. I looked into the feasibility of setting up such a mesh network at the time but came to the conclusion that it will be of no benefit to me or the general public as I was already running a AREDN ( Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network) Network on 2.4 Ghz and 5.8 Ghz in the Mossel Bay area. The benefits of an AREDN Mesh Network clearly over shadowed Meshtastic and Meshcore. But you are talking a lot of rubbish now! What about emergency communications? Surely Meshtastic and Meshcore can be used during a disaster to assist in emergency communications?
Let me explain a few reasons why I decided not to go the Meshtastic or Meshcore route and let me make it very clear that I an not against any of these open source projects. I might in future consider to join both these open source projects depending on further development of the software, hardware and a substantial price drop etc.
Here is a few reasons why I rather use AREDN: (I will only provide a cryptic explanation.)
- An AREDN (Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network) system is a high-speed, self-discovering wireless mesh network built specifically by and for amateur radio operators using commercial off-the-shelf radio hardware. It is fully open source. Its source code, custom Linux-based firmware, and build tools are publicly available on GitHub under the GPL-3.0 license. This allows amateur radio operators to inspect, modify, and contribute to the network's software development.
- I already have all the equipment setup for the AREDN Mesh Network including a fully functional web-site and server. It can connect to the ZS1I AllStar Hub Network and DMR Repeater and Bridge Network even when the Internet goes down. I can connect AREDN to any repeater, radio link, digital radio link etc for emergency communication use.
- The AREDN Mesh Network has already been successfully used during the Knysna Fire Storm in 2017 and proved that it is up to the task of providing voice, video, image, text, email and data communications. (forwarding and storage)
- The AREDN Mesh Network can be split into several mesh networks. For example the 2.4 Ghz network can be opened for public use and a person only needs his cellphone (without a cellular network connection) to communicate to the AREDN 2.4 Ghz Network or a node in his/her vicinity. This will allow the public important direct access communications during a disaster. Same as Meshtastic and Meshcore but with more power and directional gain antennas for AREDN.
- Video / Images / Email and Data Communications are vital during a disaster. AREDN can provide these with ease having great bandwidth etc. One can even "tap" into existing CCTV Cameras that might be offline or install portable cameras on tripods if there is a need for it.
- Now let's look at the cost. For what I am getting from a Meshtastic or Meshcore node / repeater I might just as well use commercial off-the-shelf radio hardware for AREDN which is found in abundance secondhand or sometimes as give-a ways. On several occasions I received freebee's which I used as AREDN Mesh Nodes. Older and redundant antennas for 2.4 Ghz and 5.8 Ghz can be obtained free from many Internet Service Providers and the general public. All the antennas I currently use was free of charge.
- I hear you say but the Meshtastic and Meshcore nodes are small and compact and can be used with solar battery power. Yes the form factor is small and compact but have a look at the AREDN web-site to see how small and compact some of the AREDN nodes are and they can also use solar battery power.
- RF Power Output - As radio amateurs we are permitted to use higher power than any of the Meshtastic or Meshcore nodes can provide. Higher power is not always the answer but it is available if needed. Always just use enough power that is needed to make a reliable connection / contact. I am not a QRO operator by any means but it is good to know that one can use higher power if needed.
- Interconnection of AREDN to other amateur radio equipment and networks. This is were AREDN is shining and I have touched on this earlier. Bridging / interconnection / linking call it what you want has become very important in this day and age. On many occasions in the past I have talked about the disparity in radio communications among emergency responders—often called a lack of interoperability—occurs due to incompatible hardware frequencies, differing agency protocols, and decentralized funding. Police, fire, and medical teams often use completely separate networks that cannot talk to each other directly during a crisis.
- In my opinion AREDN is a far better and trustworthy mesh network system. Agree there are also some areas that need to be upgraded but the AREDN Team is working tirelessly to release software and hardware updates to keep AREDN in the loop and relevant today.
Finally: I am not against Meshtastic or Meshcore. Each one has it's own rightful, place and uses and I think that it is wonderful technology that needs to be developed even further. So before I jump on the "hype wagon" several changes and new features need to be released to make it an attractive option for me to use as an emergency communications tool. By all means feel free to follow the Meshtastic, Meshcore or AREDN "route". Let's see what the future will bring in this regard.
