--- title: Home url: 'https://www.etxmesh.net/' markdown: 'https://www.etxmesh.net/index.md' date: '2026-10-06' description: "πŸ“‘ MeshCore East Texas Building a community-owned mesh across East Texas Welcome to the East Texas MeshCore community β€” a place for radio enthusiasts, tinkerers, neighbors, and curious newcomers to learn about MeshCore and build a resilient, local communications network. Whether you're setting up…" --- # πŸ“‘ MeshCore East Texas > ## Building a community-owned mesh across East Texas Welcome to the **East Texas MeshCore community** β€” a place for radio enthusiasts, tinkerers, neighbors, and curious newcomers to learn about MeshCore and build a resilient, local communications network. Whether you're setting up your first node, looking for nearby meshers, experimenting with antennas, or helping expand coverage across East Texas, **you're welcome here.** **No experience required. Just curiosity, a willingness to learn, and a desire to build something together.** --- ## πŸ“‘ What is MeshCore? **MeshCore** is a lightweight, long-range mesh communications system designed for small, low-power radio devices. Instead of relying entirely on cell towers, Wi-Fi, or the internet, MeshCore nodes can communicate with one another over radio and relay messages through the mesh. That makes it useful and interesting for: - πŸ•οΈ Off-grid communication - 🚨 Emergency and backup communications - πŸ₯Ύ Hiking, camping, and outdoor activities - 🏘️ Neighborhood communications - πŸ“» Radio experimentation - πŸ”§ DIY electronics and maker projects - 🌲 Connecting communities across rural areas > **The goal isn't to replace the internet.** > > **The goal is to have another way to communicate when you need one.** --- # 🌲 MeshCore in East Texas East Texas is a great environment for experimenting with long-range mesh networks. From **Tyler and Longview to rural communities, the Piney Woods, lakes, farms, and everything in between**, terrain, elevation, antenna placement, and node locations can make every deployment an interesting experiment. We're working toward a community where people can: > **Build nodes. Share knowledge. Expand coverage. Help their neighbors.** Every well-placed node can make the network a little more useful. --- # πŸ—ΊοΈ Explore the Mesh **See what nodes are already out there.** - πŸ—ΊοΈ [View the East Texas Mesh Map](#) - πŸ“‘ [Find Nearby Nodes](#) - πŸ—Ό [View Repeaters & Routers](#) - πŸ“Š [Check Network Activity](#) > **Don't see a node near you?** > > That's an opportunity. --- # πŸš€ New to MeshCore? **Start here.** ### 1. πŸ“– Learn the Basics Get familiar with how MeshCore works, what hardware you need, and what you can expect from a local mesh. ### 2. πŸ›’ Pick Your Hardware A basic MeshCore node can be surprisingly inexpensive. You'll generally need: - πŸ“» A compatible radio board - πŸ“‘ An antenna - πŸ”‹ A battery or USB power source - 🧰 An enclosure - πŸ’Ύ MeshCore firmware ### 3. πŸ”§ Build Your First Node Flash the firmware, configure your node, connect your antenna, and see what you can reach. ### 4. 🀝 Join the Community Ask questions, share your results, and find other MeshCore users throughout East Texas. **[πŸ“– Read the Getting Started Guide β†’](#)** --- # πŸ“ Local Community We're building a network of MeshCore users throughout East Texas. ### πŸ“‘ Tyler / Smith County Local nodes, builders, radio enthusiasts, and experimenters around Tyler and the surrounding communities. ### πŸ“‘ Longview / Gregg County Mesh experimentation and community coverage around Longview and surrounding areas. ### 🌲 Rural East Texas Long distances and sparse infrastructure make mesh networking especially interesting in rural areas. ### πŸ“ Your Area Don't see your town listed? > **Start the local community yourself.** We're happy to help you get your first node online. --- # 🀝 Get Involved There are plenty of ways to contribute, even if you don't consider yourself a radio expert. - πŸ“‘ Deploy a node - πŸ—Ό Help identify good elevated locations - 🧰 Build and test hardware - πŸ—ΊοΈ Map coverage - πŸ“Έ Share antenna and enclosure designs - πŸ§‘β€πŸ« Help newcomers - πŸ§ͺ Experiment with new configurations - πŸ•οΈ Take nodes into the field - πŸ“£ Tell your neighbors about the project > ## **The network belongs to the community.** --- # πŸ› οΈ Projects & Experiments East Texas is a great place to experiment. We're interested in projects such as: - β˜€οΈ Solar-powered nodes - πŸŽ’ Portable field nodes - 🌧️ Weather-resistant outdoor enclosures - πŸ”‹ Battery optimization - πŸ“‘ Long-range antenna experiments - πŸ—ΊοΈ Coverage mapping - 🚨 Emergency communications - πŸ“» Community repeaters - 🌲 Off-grid deployments Have an idea? > **Build it. Test it. Share what you learn.** --- # πŸ“» Community Guidelines MeshCore works best when people work together. ### 🀝 Be Helpful Everyone starts somewhere. Help people learn rather than making them feel bad for asking questions. ### πŸ§ͺ Experiment Responsibly Test, measure, document, and share your results. ### 🚫 Don't Spam the Mesh Meshcore and other mesh networks use limited radio frequencies and spamming may impact the ability for others to get a message on the air. Keep traffic useful and considerate. ### πŸ” Protect Privacy A radio mesh is **not automatically a private or secure communications channel**. Don't put sensitive information onto the network unless you understand the security implications. --- # πŸ“– Resources ## MeshCore - πŸ“– [Official MeshCore Documentation](https://docs.meshcore.io/) - πŸ’Ύ [MeshCore Firmware](https://flasher.meshcore.io/) - πŸ“» [Supported Hardware](https://www.thatstupidsignintylertx.com/hardware) - βš™οΈ [Configuration Guides](#) ## East Texas Community - πŸ—ΊοΈ [East Texas Node Map](#) - πŸš€ [Getting Started Guide](#) - 🧰 [Hardware Recommendations](#) - πŸ“‘ [Antenna Guide](#) - πŸ—Ό [Node Deployment Guide](#) - ❓ [Frequently Asked Questions](#) --- # 🌎 Build the Mesh You don't need a huge tower. You don't need to be an expert. You don't need to wait for someone else to start. > ## **Put a node on the air.** > > ## **Find a neighbor.** > > ## **See how far you can reach.** > > ## **Then help us connect the next one.** --- # πŸ“‘ East Texas MeshCore ### Local People. Local Radios. Community-Built Infrastructure. [πŸš€ **Get Started β†’**](#) [πŸ—ΊοΈ **View the Map β†’**](#) [🀝 **Join the Community β†’**](#) --- --- ## Navigation - Next: [Getting Started](https://www.etxmesh.net/getting-started.md)