So you're interested in our LillyGo T-Echos but don't know what they are or how they differ from a normal radio. Well, good news for you: We're doing a whole series on Meshtastic, starting with the question, "What is it?"
Put simply, it's a radio. Put a little less simply, it's a radio that runs an open-source software called Meshtastic. Running this software means that this radio can send encrypted text messages and data (like GPS coordinates and device telemetry) without a license to other radios running Meshtastic. Each Meshtastic radio will repeat the message to all the other radios in range, boosting the signal and propagating the message.
The best illustration I've seen is this: Imagine you're back in grade school. You want to pass a note to someone else in the class. Problem is, passing notes isn't allowed, and the person you want the note to go to is out of arm's reach. Good news: everyone in the class has agreed to copy any notes they get and pass them to all their nearest neighbors.
You've also all set up codes so that no one else in the class can read the note but the intended sender. So you hand a copy of the note to each of your nearest neighbors, and they copy their note and pass those to all their neighbors. Even though they can't read what it says, a copy of the note eventually lands on your friend's desk - who can read the note because they know the key to your code.
Congrats, you just set up a classroom mesh! That's fantastic! You could even say, Mesh... Tastic. Here's why:
- Redundancy. Even if some of the kids from class are absent, you can still send the note.
- Encryption. No one else can read what you've written, just the intended recipient. So if your note gets intercepted by the teacher, she can't read it.
- Low Power transmission and less obvious signal - Ok, this is a stretch for the metaphor, but you do not have to throw the note across the room in a hail mary, hoping to hit your recipient. You are simply passing it clandestinely to your nearest neighbors. They do the same.
We'll unpack all these factors in a later post - but for now, just remember the advantages. Here are a few disadvantages:
- If you have no one next to you, your message isn't going anywhere. If no one else can repeat the message, then that's where the message ends.
- It takes more time/work - Hand copying a bunch of notes is time-consuming. Granted, we're really talking about computers and radios doing the copying, so this is less of problem for them, but there are still considerations onhow much "work" the mesh network can handle.
Let's sum up what we learned here.
- The T-Echos are Radios that use Meshtastic software. The software is free and open source, so it has no fees.
- They send text messages and data (remember you're passing notes, not using a bullhorn.)
- They're encrypted, meaning only the people you want to read the message can read it.
- You don't need a license to communicate with them, which means that you won't get in trouble (in class or otherwise) using them.
- Mesh networks are robust and redundant, but you still need friends nearby if you want to talk. You'll need a constellation of them to get a response. (See what we did there?)
We can't help you make friends, but we can help you get your hands on a meshtastic radio. We've put in a fresh order and will have more in stock soon, so like, follow, subscribe for updates as we get more in stock!
