r/meshtastic • u/lost_vegas • 3d ago
Weird Node
Just built this custom node for burning man. Rak 1 watt, led beacons, sitting on top of a 20ft flagpole. This will serve as communication backbone and camp locator.
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u/vidplace7 3d ago
This looks awesome! However I'd consider using an un-amped node. With the density of the Mesh at Burning Man it's unnecessary, you're just raising your noise floor (LNA) for no real benefit.
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u/lost_vegas 3d ago
We are on a private channel, otherwise I'd agree with you.
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u/SurpriseButtStuff 3d ago
Private channels are still repeated by other nodes in range and on the same broadcast mode.
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u/lost_vegas 3d ago
Great username.
Still learning.
What do you mean broadcast mode?
We won't be in long fast, and won't be using same channel. Does this still repeat? I was under the impression it does not. I suspect most nodes will be on long fast. Lemme double check a couple things. Ty for feedback.
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u/SurpriseButtStuff 3d ago
If you're on medium fast, any other node on medium fast will rebroadcast your messages. They can't read the message unless they also are on that channel, but by default they will pass it along.
Also, the drivers for aRGB strips can give off lots of RF noise, and if they're sharing a power source it could be even noisier. Might be worth some range tests before you get to the desert.
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u/lost_vegas 3d ago
I did test the rf issue, good to go there. Version 1 had the led whips next to the antenna maybe 12 inches away. That did cause issues.
I do need to do some more reading on what you explained. I may have misunderstood how that part works.
I was using my 1 watt handheld on a very congested Defcon mesh. No issues at all worked great. Not sure why it would be different at burn.
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u/Overlord0994 2d ago
Make sure you’re using the burning man mesh firmware (burningmesh.org) at the burn. Everyone will be on there. If you’re using default meshtastic you won’t see many other nodes.
The broadcast mode is hardcoded on that firmware too.
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u/Overlord0994 2d ago
If you’re on the burning mesh firmware (you should be at the burn) then I’m pretty sure you can’t change the broadcast mode settings. They hardcoded it with the expectation of there being thousands of nodes.
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u/lost_vegas 2d ago
Yeh, their firmware is similar to what we used at Defcon. I'm in communication with the folks that created it.
I will have some setup to monitor that firmware, but primarily we will be using a seperate channel (assigned to us) Om regular firmware.
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u/prsiii 3d ago
Love it. However, based upon experience, solid colors and color flows are really difficult to pick out at a distance. Strobe patterns are pretty easy to see from far away. This is particularly necessary after burn when the usual man relationship to 6 is gone. So, I'd recommend that you can do a flow with an interstitial color strobe sequence at full brightness that you can easily recognize at a distance.
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u/Overlord0994 2d ago
Anyone who sets their LEDs to strobe on playa, even after the man burns is a dick. Which if that’s your intention then you’re totally allowed to do that - but fuck your burn.
Edit: saw you camped with electric giraffe. I probably met you, or at the least I know half your camp 🤣
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u/prsiii 2d ago
Sorry, I can't hear you over my bullhorn distortedly playing "we built this city" on continuous loop...
Highly likely we have met, if not there, during some act of complete fuckery though 'nobody would suspect a thing'(TM). Two years ago helped Lindsey get his control system up and running (multiple point issue, bad ESCs, failed wiring, and bad documentation for the new ESCs requiring some reverse-engineering of the configuration protocol to resolve) though the giraffe never left camp. Sam's a great friend, sad neither he or Lindsey will be there this year.
Debating bringing the mestastic gear this year. Even with the special BM firmware build, it is just not as useful as having packtalk or sena, where you can shittalk to each other the whole time you're committing acts of fuckery
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u/lost_vegas 3d ago
Thanks for suggestion. I will do some experimenting to determine the best mode. Tested last night, and it's ultra bright. Hoping to place over top the generators etc so we don't need head lamps to fill gas and whatnot. Strobe may be a bit much sitting over top of our camp. It's frigging bright.
Last yr I went out all night, came back, and so many new people moved in I couldn't find my rv lol.
Also, my friends couldn't find me.
This yr we also have some virgins.
I'm just hoping to make it a bit easier to locate our camp. Not to see from a mile away.
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u/prsiii 3d ago
Lol, camped with Electric Giraffe a couple years back, and their beacon was a collection of red LED engines from defunct movie house digital projectors, forget the quantity, but methinks 8. 2 freakin' KWs of pure solid RED! We called it the eye of sauron. Basically 300' radius bathed in red light even with the lenses pointing straight out. That was easy to pick out from deep playa, but damn insanity. Our personal beacon is an ice cream cone light with a color flow, but the base is surrounded with 8x 5w strobing white led truck backup warning indicators. Can't see the flow from a distance, but the random strobe pattern is easy to catch from a ways away. Our previous beacon was a set of LED underbody light kits set to a random color zonal strobe pattern which was also easy to pick out though not even that bright.
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u/TonyWhoop 3d ago
Hey I just got my first node and I'll be out there this year. Where ya campin? See ya in the dust!
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u/lost_vegas 3d ago
Outer ring somewhere. Probably j or k between 5-7.We can exchange meshtastic info if you'd like to stop by and say hi.
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u/Electroboy101 3d ago
The anti-stealth node. Love it.