Text without cell service: mesh radios

Small battery radios that let your family and neighbors text each other when cell towers and internet are down.

Mesh radios are small battery-powered LoRa devices that pass short text messages and GPS locations from radio to radio. After a hurricane, they let your family and neighbors stay in touch when cell towers and internet are down. Each one pairs with your phone over Bluetooth, and you type in a free app. Some, like the T-Deck Plus, have their own keyboard and need no phone.

Range between handhelds is usually a few hundred feet to a few miles, depending on terrain, buildings and antenna height. A solar repeater mounted high can stretch a neighborhood network much further. In the US they use the 902–928 MHz band, which needs no license.

There are two networks: Meshtastic (every radio relays for everyone, easiest for families) and MeshCore (dedicated repeaters carry larger networks more efficiently). They run on the same hardware but don't talk to each other, so pick the one your local mesh uses.

Learn more: Meshtastic introduction · MeshCore FAQ

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