Weekly Net

Our Weekly Net is a casual, field‑friendly meetup focused on onboarding, range testing, and hands‑on learning.

What to bring

• Your node (charged) + spare power bank / cable
• Phone with Meshtastic app installed and paired
• 915 MHz antenna (and any antennas you want to compare)
• Optional: small tripod/mast, tape measure, notebook, water/sun protection

Channel plan (events)

For meetups we use a temporary event channel (shared in the Discord event thread).
This keeps public/demo traffic separate from day‑to‑day channels.

• Look for a pinned message with the channel QR or import string
• After the event, switch back to your usual channel

Net flow (typical)

1. Kickoff & roll call — quick check‑ins, help newcomers flash/pair/set US‑915
2. Antenna & placement tips — height, LOS, coax basics
3. Range test loop — walk/drive tests; compare antenna/placement changes
4. Data review — maps/logs, what worked, gaps to target next time
5. Announcements — upcoming build nights, relay spots, hardware swaps

Range test recipe (simple)

• Set Position/Telemetry interval to ~2–5 min for mapping; shorter (e.g., 60–90s) if the mesh isn’t congested
• Use consistent test messages (e.g., “Test A @ park bench”, “Test B @ overlook”)
• Change one variable at a time (antenna, height, location) and note results
• Share RSSI/SNR snippets in the event thread so we can compare later

Etiquette

• Keep messages short; avoid flooding the mesh
• Identify your test messages (add initials)
• Help newcomers first; advanced tweaks later in the session
• Be mindful of heat/terrain and private property

Troubleshooting corner

• No traffic seen? Verify US‑915, event channel, and app pairing
• Spotty range? Raise the antenna; try a different location or orientation
• Odd reboots? Swap USB cable/power; check battery seating

After the net

• Switch back to your normal channel
• Post any maps/screen caps in the recap thread
• Vote on the next test area so we can expand coverage methodically