Quick guides for the stuff that trips people up when they're starting out.
This is completely normal. MeshCore doesn't broadcast devices continuously — it uses "adverts," which are opt-in. Send an advert from your device's menu, and other nearby nodes that hear it will add you to their contact list. Give it a few minutes near an active repeater.
Higher is almost always better — rooftops, attics with clear sky view, or hilltops. Line of sight to other nodes matters more than raw height. Keep it away from metal roofing or objects that could block the antenna.
ESP32-based boards (like the Heltec V4) draw more power than nRF52 boards — expect 1-2 days on battery. For long-term outdoor use, pair with a small solar panel and a larger battery pack rather than relying on the stock battery alone.
Double-check your Frequency, Bandwidth, and Spread Factor match the NJ Mesh settings exactly — even a small mismatch means your device can't hear the mesh at all. Also confirm you're within range of a repeater or another node.
This usually means a repeater ID collision. See our 2-byte path settings section — switching a repeater to a 2-byte ID resolves most conflicts as the network grows.
A single hop between two nodes with clear line of sight can reach several miles or more with a good antenna. Since messages can hop across multiple repeaters, total range across the mesh is really limited by how many repeaters are up and connected — not by any single radio's range.
After sending a message, the app tells you how many repeaters relayed it. More repeaters hearing you generally means better redundancy and a higher chance your message actually reached its destination — it's a quick signal-health check.
Not at the same time — a board runs one firmware at a time. You can reflash back and forth between them, but you'll need to pick one for a given device to actually use it on a mesh.
Yes — MeshCore runs on the license-free 900 MHz ISM band in the US, so no amateur radio license or registration is required to use a companion or repeater, as long as your device stays within legal power limits for that band.
Usually a driver issue — many boards (especially those using a CH340 USB chip) need a driver installed on Windows before they're recognized. Try a different USB cable too; some are power-only and don't carry data.