MeshCore Yorkshire

MeshCore • Yorkshire

Connecting Yorkshire,
one node at a time.

A community-built MeshCore network for resilient, off-grid messaging across Yorkshire.

Get started Explore the network
Community-led
Off-grid ready
Yorkshire-wide
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Built by the community

Messages that keep moving when the internet doesn’t.

MeshCore uses low-power LoRa radios to pass short text messages from node to node. No mobile signal, subscription or central service is needed.

MeshCore Yorkshire brings local operators together to extend useful coverage, share knowledge and help more people get connected.

01

Long-range LoRa

Low-power radio links designed for practical messaging over challenging terrain.

02

Store and forward

Repeaters help messages travel beyond the direct range of a single device.

03

No licence required

Built around licence-exempt devices operating within UK radio regulations.

Getting started

Everything you need to join MeshCore Yorkshire.

You do not need an amateur radio licence or a complicated station. A compatible LoRa device, the MeshCore firmware and the same radio settings as the local network are enough to get started.

1

Choose your hardware

For everyday messaging, choose a companion device that connects to your phone by Bluetooth. A screen-and-keyboard device can operate by itself. Fixed repeaters are for extending coverage rather than sending messages.

2

Install MeshCore

Flash the correct MeshCore firmware for your board, then install the MeshCore companion app on your phone. Give your node a recognisable name and set its role to Companion.

3

Apply the Yorkshire settings

Use the UK frequency and matching LoRa parameters below. Every value must match; a node on a different frequency, bandwidth, spreading factor or coding rate will not hear the network.

Yorkshire radio profile

UK frequency settings

Preset
UK (Narrow)
Frequency
869.618 MHz
Bandwidth
62.5 kHz
Spreading factor
SF8
Coding rate
8

This is the shared profile used by MeshCore Yorkshire. Stay within the UK licence-exempt power and duty-cycle limits for your equipment and installation.

Meet the local network

Join #Yorkshire

#Yorkshire is the public community channel for local chat, coverage reports, testing and getting help from other node operators.

  1. Open Channels in the companion app.
  2. Add or discover the channel named #Yorkshire.
  3. Send a short introduction with your name and area.

Direct messages are private between contacts; public channel messages may be seen and repeated by other nodes across the mesh.

Choosing a device

Which hardware do I need?

Start with one companion node. Add a repeater only when you understand your local coverage and have a genuinely useful location for it.

Best first device

Phone companion

A small LoRa board links to the MeshCore app over Bluetooth. It is the simplest and most flexible way to send messages, manage contacts and use channels.

Examples include supported Heltec, LilyGo and Seeed Studio boards.
Standalone

Screen & keyboard

Devices such as a T-Deck let you read and type messages without using a phone. They are portable and convenient, but usually cost more.

Choose the correct 868 MHz version for UK use.
Extend coverage

Repeater

A fixed, powered node relays packets for others. Height, a clear view and a quiet radio location matter more than maximum transmit power or a huge antenna.

Outdoor repeaters need weatherproofing, reliable power and a responsible installation.
Join the Yorkshire community

Once configured, leave your node running for a few minutes so it can hear advertisements and discover nearby contacts.

How the mesh works

More than radios shouting into the air.

Your companion learns which repeaters can reach a contact and sends a short encrypted packet along a suitable path. Repeaters forward it; Room Servers provide a shared place where messages can be stored and collected later.

Coverage is never guaranteed. Terrain, buildings, antenna position, interference and the nodes currently online all affect whether a path is available.

Carry

Companion

Your personal identity on the mesh. It connects to the app or provides its own screen and keyboard, manages contacts and sends direct or channel messages.

Relay

Repeater

Unattended infrastructure that forwards packets. It does not replace your companion and is most valuable in a high, clear and reliable location.

Store

Room Server

A persistent meeting place that can hold room messages for users to retrieve. It serves a different purpose from a pure coverage repeater.

A useful first test

Prove the basics before chasing distance.

  1. Start nearby.Place two companion devices a few metres apart and confirm both use the Yorkshire radio profile.
  2. Wait for discovery.Leave both powered for several minutes so advertisements and contacts have time to appear.
  3. Send direct first.Exchange a short direct message, then try #Yorkshire and note whether delivery is confirmed.
  4. Add one variable.Increase distance or introduce a repeater only after the simple link works reliably.

Building useful coverage

Height first. Power second.

A modest repeater with a clear view will often outperform a powerful node hidden behind walls or surrounded by electrical noise. Plan for reliability, not an impressive bench-test figure.

01

Choose the site

Look for legal access, clear horizons, safe maintenance and a location where the node benefits more than one household.

02

Keep RF losses low

Use a suitable 868 MHz antenna, short low-loss feed where possible, sound connectors and separation from noisy electronics.

03

Make it dependable

Weatherproof outdoor equipment, provide battery margin for poor weather and keep a record of firmware, settings and admin access.

Repeater configuration

Regions keep local traffic useful.

Regions tell a repeater which scoped flood traffic it should forward. Use yorkshire as the primary region, with the neighbouring regional identifiers below added as extras.

Primary regionyorkshire

The main Yorkshire community scope.

Extra regioneng-yh

The England–Yorkshire and the Humber regional scope.

Extra regioneng-ne

The North East England scope, useful for cross-boundary paths.

Extra regiongb-eng-nw

The North West England scope, useful for routes across the Pennines.

Suggested CLI sequence

Add and allow the primary region and three extras

Log in to the repeater, open its CLI and enter one command at a time. Wait for an OK response after every command. The final command saves the region configuration permanently.

Read the complete Yorkshire repeater guide 
region put yorkshire
region allowf yorkshire

region put eng-yh
region allowf eng-yh

region put eng-ne
region allowf eng-ne

region put gb-eng-nw
region allowf gb-eng-nw

region save

Suggested, not one-size-fits-all: these regions have been recommended for Yorkshire repeaters, but an operator may need different settings for their location and neighbouring network. Region identifiers are case-sensitive; enter them exactly as shown.

Quick checks

Can’t see nodes or deliver a message?

Nothing appears in Contacts

Confirm the device has Companion firmware, Bluetooth is connected, the antenna is fitted, and frequency, bandwidth, SF and CR exactly match the Yorkshire profile. Then wait several minutes outdoors or near a window.

I can receive, but messages do not deliver

Reception does not prove there is a return path. Move to a clearer position, allow path discovery to update and test a nearby contact before assuming the repeater is faulty.

The web flasher cannot find my board

Use Chrome or Edge on a computer, try a known data-capable USB cable and select the exact hardware model. Many USB cables provide charging only.

My repeater performs worse than expected

Check noise level, antenna and connector losses, nearby electronics, enclosure placement and power stability. More transmit power cannot repair poor reception or a blocked site.

Responsible UK operation

Licence-exempt does not mean unrestricted.

Use 868 MHz hardware and operate within the power, spectrum-access and duty-cycle conditions that apply to the chosen sub-band. Antenna gain and any amplifier count towards radiated power. Install repeaters only with the landowner’s permission and never where they could create a safety or access risk.

MeshCore Yorkshire is a community communications network, not an emergency service and not a replacement for 999.

UK resources

Explore, plan and read further.

UK network viewExplore reported nodes on M3SHBeginner guideRead a British setup walkthroughInfrastructureRead the UK repeater guideOfficial requirementsRead Ofcom IR 2030

Using it well

The details that turn a radio into a useful network.

Getting firmware onto a device is only the beginning. Good discovery habits, sensible repeater maintenance and clear expectations make MeshCore Yorkshire more reliable for everyone.

For repeater operators

Maintain it like shared infrastructure.

A remote repeater should be documented and recoverable. Make changes deliberately, keep known-good settings and plan physical maintenance before a fault occurs.

  • Record the buildBoard model, radio profile, regions, firmware version, antenna, power system and installation date.
  • Protect accessChange default admin credentials, retain them securely and back up the node’s private key where supported.
  • Update carefullyReview stable firmware periodically, save the current configuration and avoid risky remote updates when recovery is difficult.
  • Inspect the siteCheck enclosure seals, condensation, connectors, cable strain, antenna condition and battery or solar performance.
  • Retest afterwardsVerify the Yorkshire radio profile, regions, adverts and actual two-way packet delivery after any reset or reflash.

Privacy & security

Know what other nodes can see.

Public means public

Messages posted to #Yorkshire may be received and repeated across the community network. Never post confidential or sensitive personal information.

Choose a sensible identity

Node names and adverts are visible to others. Avoid including a home address, telephone number or other unnecessary personal details.

Share location deliberately

Only publish precise coordinates when appropriate. Infrastructure locations may reveal private homes or restricted sites.

Protect your node identity

A private key identifies the node. Keep backups securely where supported; a full erase may generate a new identity and break existing contacts.

Private is not infallible

Direct messaging provides privacy features, but MeshCore is a community radio system—not a guaranteed secure or emergency communications service.

Report problems responsibly

If you discover abuse, unsafe infrastructure or a security concern, contact the project without publishing sensitive details in a public channel.

Made for Yorkshire

What could you use it for?

01

Walking & outdoors

Short messages between groups where valleys, moorland and patchy mobile coverage make ordinary communication difficult.

02

Scouting & STEM

Hands-on radio, networking and resilient-communications activities for Scouts, JOTA/JOTI and youth technology events.

03

Radio field days

Coordinate operators, equipment and visitors around temporary amateur-radio stations without loading the mobile network.

04

Community events

Supplementary messaging around shows, camps, outdoor activities and volunteer-led events.

05

Coverage experiments

Test antennas, paths, terrain and low-power radio propagation while contributing useful observations to the community.

06

Family & local resilience

A pre-arranged backup for short local messages when normal services are unavailable—never a replacement for 999.

Plain English

MeshCore glossary.

Node
Any device participating in the MeshCore network.
Companion
Your personal messaging device, connected to an app or used standalone.
Repeater
An infrastructure node that forwards packets to extend useful paths.
Room Server
A persistent shared room that can hold messages for later collection.
Advert
An announcement that shares a node’s identity and helps contacts discover it.
Flood
A packet forwarded through multiple repeaters when a known route is unavailable or wider distribution is intended.
Hop
One radio leg between nodes. A message using two repeaters has travelled several hops.
Path
The learned sequence of nodes used to reach a particular contact.
Region
A scope used to decide which region-tagged flood traffic a repeater forwards.
RSSI
A measure of received signal strength, shown in dBm.
SNR
The wanted signal compared with background noise.
Airtime
The time packets occupy the shared radio channel; duty cycle limits how much a node may transmit.
EIRP
Effective radiated power, including transmitter power, antenna gain and cable loss.

About the project

Built by people across Yorkshire.

MeshCore Yorkshire is a volunteer-led community encouraging useful, responsible off-grid messaging across the county. It is not a commercial network, formal emergency service or guarantee of coverage.

How you can contribute

  • Run a companion and share constructive coverage reports.
  • Help a newcomer configure and test their first device.
  • Offer a legitimate high location for a responsibly installed repeater.
  • Maintain an existing repeater or help document local paths.
  • Share technical knowledge, use cases and corrections to the guides.

Join MeshCore Yorkshire

Tell us where you are starting.

Email your name, general area, device or proposed installation and what help you need. Please do not send passwords, private keys or precise private-site coordinates in an initial message.

Email MeshCore Yorkshire

MeshCore Yorkshire

Build it. Test it.
Make it useful.

Whether you run a solar repeater on the moors, carry a pocket node around town or are simply curious, there’s a place for you here.

Contact MeshCore Yorkshire