Mesh Pirkanmaa

Welcome to Mesh Pirkanmaa!

We're a group of Meshtastic enthusiasts covering the Tampere region, including Nokia, Pirkkala, and Ylöjärvi.

Meshtastic - what?

Meshtastic is a open source mesh network protocol and software for small low power radio devices that is not depend on internet, mobile network or any other infrastructure. You can use it to send text messages, position updates, telemetry (temperature, humidity, etc.). It's a fun hobby to learn about radios, antennas, networks, and find other same minded people. As the name "mesh" indicates, the radios create meshing network where each radio can communicate with each other. This way the network can grow large and messages can be sent to longer distances than in radio-to-radio communication.

Pirkanmaa Meshtastic Settings - valid from 1.11.2025

Meshtastic uses the LongFast preset mode as default for EU868. However, this works poorly in Pirkanmaa due to other traffic at 869.525 MHz (the "Long Fast" middle frequency). Therefore, we have collectively decided to switch to EdgeFastLow to improve mesh network performance on 1st of November 2025.

To connect to our mesh network, you'll need to configure your Meshtastic device manually with non-preset "EdgeFastLow" settings. Here are the settings you'll need:

Channel Configuration

Channel Name	EdgeFastLow (exactly like this)
PSK	Leave AQ== (default)

LoRa Configuration

Use Modem Preset	Disabled
Bandwidth (kHz)	62
Spread Factor	8
Coding Rate	8 (* iOS look below)
Frequency Offset (MHz)	0
Frequency Slot	1

(*) iOS app has bug with the coding rate. Use coding rate 7 until fixed.

Our network operates on frequency 869.4313 MHz - you don't need to configure this anywhere, it's just good to know!

Prefer "Client" - mode - it repeats & meshes nicely. Never use "Router" or "Repeater" without good reason and discussing about this with the community. If you have a "pocket node" that doesn't contribute the network, use "Client Mute". Read more about this at https://meshtastic.org/blog/choosing-the-right-device-role/.

Detailed setup instructions for Android and iOS devices are available in our setup instructions:

Finnish instructions (PDF)
Coming soon: English instructions

Getting started?

Here are some recommendations what to buy to get you started:

SenseCAP Card Tracker T1000-E - Battery, case, antenna, GPS, bluetooth. Good all rounder. Roughly 50$ shipped. Remember to buy the charging cable!
LILYGO T3 S3 Meshtastic - Battery not included, no GPS, decent antenna included (notice: RP-SMA connector). No enclosure. Around $18.
XIAO ESP32S3 & Wio-SX1262 Kit - 9.9$ for fully working node! Very barebones but works great for fixed nodes. Buy one of these on your balcony or next to your window. Wifi, Bluetooth.
XIAO nRF52840 & Wio-SX1262 Kit - energy efficient node. Suggested for battery powered nodes. Average current is about 10mA in relaxed network traffic. Buy suitable u.fl -> SMA adapter and for example Gizont antenna.

Coverage Area

The following map shows nodes captured from directly radio (no MQTT data).

Join the Conversation

Have questions about setting up your device? Want to share your latest mesh experiments? Or just want to chat with fellow radio enthusiasts? Join us on:

• IRCNet: #mesh-pirkanmaa
• Matrix: #meshtastic-pirkanmaa:hacklab.fi