Small, low-power radios that mesh together to carry text and location — no cell tower, no internet, no license required to get started.
Meshtastic is an open-source project built around small, battery-powered LoRa radios that automatically mesh together to relay text messages and location between devices. Each node extends the network a little further, so a message can hop from device to device well beyond the range of any single radio.
It runs on unlicensed ISM spectrum, which means anyone can pick up a device and start using it — no amateur radio license required. That makes it a great on-ramp for newcomers, and a useful complement to the club's licensed communications: fox hunts, hikes, and public service events all benefit from lightweight, off-grid check-ins and position sharing that don't tie up a repeater.
Where AREDN is the high-speed backbone, Meshtastic is the long-range, low-power edge — and the club bridges the two, so traffic can move between our AREDN mesh and the wider Meshtastic network.
Iowa Mesh is the statewide community coordinating Meshtastic coverage and node placement across Iowa. It's the best place to see who's out there and where nodes are needed.
Visit Iowa Mesh →