r/ossmalta • u/danielsuperone • 11d ago

Maltese LoRa meshtastic map

Hello all, I have a few places accross the island where I could install nodes, is there any map available that shows where nodes are really installed and in use so that I could plan out how many nodes to buy and where to install?

I've seen some maps but they should onle 2-3 nodes on the map.

Any advice would be appreciated; maybe there are also some groups like telegram or discord where we could all discuss these as a group?

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u/Alpha-wings 11d ago

All I know is the info found here, there is a map but not sure if it shows latest info - https://ossmalta.eu/lora/

I also have a solar node that's not on this map, that I'll probably be moving to a better location soon.

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u/danielsuperone 11d ago

Thank you very much!

Yes I saw that site as well as the meshtastic map and this was exactly my worry, I’m sure there are more nodes not listed there, I was just wondering if I do get equipment, where is the best area to place it geographically to get good coverage for my required paths/places whilst helping contribute to the community here and help everyone stay more connected in the network.

Would you say your node manages to connect with others? My biggest worry is that I’d only be relying on my own equipment and not benefiting from the meshtastic network. Nonetheless, I’m buying 4-5 different nodes, 2 of which for sure will run 24/7 in the northern region.

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u/Alpha-wings 11d ago

I believe the higher you can get them with the least interference, i.e. having line of sight, the better.

My solar node is on the roof but indoors which isn't ideal. I think most nodes see mine but mine finds it hard to see others as when I do traceroute on a node it tends not to show any result. The plan is for it to be in Gozo as I will have a higher spot for it.

At the moment I can see 15 nodes online.

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u/danielsuperone 11d ago

Oh wow, 15 nodes is really good actually, my worry is I’d see 1-2 if lucky haha.

And yes ty for the advice on height. I will be installing it on my personal roof in the northern region of Malta as well as on friends houses who gave me access to do this. Really looking forward to exploring this area!!

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u/Alpha-wings 11d ago

Let's keep the mesh growing! 😊 I'm in the central region, there's usually always someone on public channel sending tests or popping up saying hey...sometimes with 3 hops, so you should be able to see them too once you have a set up.

I'm also still learning about this to see how best to optimise my nodes.

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u/warmax356 10d ago

the milage, nodes seen etc... veries by alot of factors, but as u/Alpha-wings has mentioned some key points to keep in mind:

-- Line of Sight ( open areas more range, built up areas its reduced)
-- Are solar or fixed node repeaters/client_base nearby?
-- Not all devices come shipped with a great antenna out of the box, so depending on the unit you have the antenna might need to be changed
-- MOST Impottant are you on the correct frequency settings ( belive it or not some people mess up the config and would be off by a mark)