Meshtastic is an open-source, license-free LoRa mesh: cheap radios that relay short messages for each other, no SIM, no infrastructure. One node makes you a listener; one node on a window ledge makes you part of the map.
Everything below is the practical minimum to get on air legally in Singapore and be a good neighbour to the mesh.
| Setting | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Region | SG_923 | 917–925 MHz, 100 mW — IMDA short-range devices band, licence-exempt |
| Preset | LongFast | The regional default — you must match the mesh to be heard |
| Hop limit | 3 | Firmware default; raising it multiplies airtime for everyone |
| Position | opt-in | Only nodes that broadcast position (and gateways that uplink it) appear on this chart |
Wrong region setting = wrong frequencies = you hear nothing and may transmit out of band. Set region first, before anything else.
| Device | Type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Heltec V3 | ESP32 + OLED | Cheapest entry; fine first node |
| RAK4631 / WisBlock | nRF52 | Very low power — solar / battery routers |
| LilyGo T-Beam | ESP32 + GPS | Mobile nodes; position out of the box |
| LilyGo T-Echo / T-Deck | nRF52 / keyboard | Pocket messenger; standalone use |
| Station G2 | High-power base | Rooftop routers and repeaters |
Buy the 900 MHz (915/923) band variant, never 433/868 — those bands are not for Meshtastic use in Singapore.
Leave your node as CLIENT. The ROUTER and REPEATER roles are for genuinely elevated, always-on placements (rooftops, hills, towers) — a street-level "router" rebroadcasts everything it hears and degrades the mesh for the whole island. Height beats power: a modest antenna on the 20th floor outperforms a strong one at ground level.
The Straits are a natural mesh basin: Singapore, Johor Bahru and Batam are all within LoRa reach of elevated nodes. Regional settings differ across the border — a node must use the region it is physically in:
| Territory | Region code | Band |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore | SG_923 | 917–925 MHz |
| Malaysia | MY_919 | 919–924 MHz |
| Thailand | TH | 920–925 MHz |
| Philippines | PH_915 | 915–918 MHz (also PH_433 / PH_868) |
| Indonesia | — | No dedicated firmware preset — verify current firmware options & local regulations before transmitting |
Cross-border links still work where bands overlap and both sides share a channel — SG_923 and MY_919 overlap across 919–924 MHz, which is why Johor nodes appear on Singapore meshes. Check the frequency-slot arithmetic before assuming, and always confirm codes against the current firmware / region-by-country list.
Nodes that enable position sharing and pass through an MQTT-uplinked gateway are aggregated by a small edge relay, which publishes a snapshot this page polls every 30 seconds. No accounts, no tracking, no cookies — the chart only ever shows what nodes have chosen to broadcast in the clear.
Message payloads on the mesh are AES-encrypted per channel; the routing header stays in the clear so strangers' nodes can relay blind. That trade — private words, public presence — is the whole design. Trust nothing unsigned.
Links between nodes are estimated from geometry — nearest neighbours within plausible radio reach — until nodes report real neighbour tables, which replace the estimate automatically. Coverage rings are honest guesses (urban clutter, tropical rain and concrete all eat RF); treat them as invitations to test, not promises.