Temperate Mesh

Temperate Mesh is a LoRa mesh network for Southeast Alaska, built with Meshtastic. Nodes communicate off-grid or where cell service is weak; this page documents how to join the community defaults and connect to the public MQTT bridge.

Getting started

New to Meshtastic? Start with the official getting started guide.

• Flash current firmware on your radio (Heltec, T-Beam, T-Deck, RAK, etc.).
• Pair with the Android, iOS, or web app, or use the Python CLI.
• Stay on the default LongFast channel until you understand encryption (PSK).
• Set your region to US in device settings for correct RF parameters.

Channels (LongFast / US)

Every device has a primary channel (index 0) and optional secondary channels. Temperate Mesh uses the stock Meshtastic defaults so new nodes can find each other.

In the app: Settings → Channels → primary channel.

meshtastic --ch-index 0 --ch-set name LongFast
meshtastic --ch-index 0 --ch-set psk default

For private group chat later, create a channel with a random PSK and share it only in person via QR code. This site does not publish keys or QR codes.

MQTT — public broker

MQTT bridges your local LoRa mesh to the internet. Use the Meshtastic public broker today; a regional Temperate broker is planned (see below).

MQTT requires Wi-Fi on the node (ESP32-class devices) or a phone running the app as a gateway proxy. Read the official MQTT integration docs for restrictions (zero-hop policy, traffic filtering on the default PSK).

Uplink and downlink

Per channel: uplink publishes mesh traffic to MQTT (good for monitoring and maps). downlink injects internet traffic onto the mesh — use with care on public channels.

meshtastic --set mqtt.enabled true
meshtastic --set mqtt.address mqtt.meshtastic.org
meshtastic --ch-index 0 --ch-set uplink_enabled true

In the app: Settings → MQTT.

Topic pattern (reference)

JSON messages (human-readable) use a path like:

msh/US/2/json/LongFast/!<node_id>

Protobuf topics use /e/ instead of /json/. Channel index and names must match your device.

MQTT documentation · Live mesh map

Gateway and uplink guidance

• Who should run MQTT: nodes with stable power and Wi-Fi — home repeaters or desk gateways, not battery-only field nodes you carry on trips.
• Public channel etiquette: prefer uplink for telemetry and map data; avoid enabling downlink unless you understand the extra RF load on the mesh.
• Firmware: MQTT features work best on firmware v2.2.0 and newer.
• Multiple gateways on one mesh may publish duplicate packets; subscribers should dedupe by packet ID if needed.

Meshtastic configuration · MQTT settings reference

Map reporting

Enable map reporting so your node can appear on the public map when uplinked via MQTT. Consider position precision and whether your node is fixed or mobile.

meshtastic --set mqtt.mapReportingEnabled true
meshtastic --set mqtt.mapReportPublishInterval 300

Optional: set a fixed position for stationary repeaters, and adjust mqtt.mapReportPositionPrecision to limit how precisely your location is shared on the default PSK.

Map documentation · map.meshtastic.org

Safety and RF notes

• The default PSK is public — anyone with Meshtastic can read traffic on LongFast.
• QR codes for channels contain encryption keys; do not post them online.
• Southeast Alaska terrain, forest, and weather strongly affect range; no link is guaranteed.
• Follow local regulations for amateur / ISM radio use and respect privacy when sharing positions.