Falls Technology ServicesMeshtastic and MeshCore are free, open-source programs for small, low-power LoRa radios. Pair a radio with your phone over Bluetooth and you can send short text messages to other radios miles away, with no cell service, no internet and no monthly fee. Messages hop from radio to radio, so the more radios there are around you, the farther a message can go.
What it's good for
- Farms, ranches and job sites with no cell service
- Hunting, hiking and camping groups that spread out
- Keeping in touch when the power or the cell network is down
- A fun, inexpensive hobby with a friendly local community
What it isn't
- Not a phone: short text messages only (around 200 characters), no calls and no photos
- Not guaranteed: a message can fail to arrive, so don't count on it in an emergency. Call 911 whenever you can
- Not private on public channels: anyone with a radio can read them, so keep personal details off them
Meshtastic or MeshCore?
They are two separate networks, and they don't talk to each other, so the best choice is the one the people near you use.
- Meshtastic: every radio can pass messages along, which makes it easy for a small group with no planning
- MeshCore: only dedicated repeaters pass messages on, which keeps the airwaves free for messages. The statewide Idaho Mesh group runs on it
What people use around Idaho Falls
- Idaho Mesh (idahomesh.org) runs a statewide MeshCore network on volunteer repeaters. When we checked the public MeshCore map on November 1, 2026, it listed more than 200 repeaters within about 40 miles of Idaho Falls
- Meshtastic radios around Idaho Falls mostly use the Freq51 settings from the Intermountain Mesh group (freq51.net)
- East Idaho Mesh (eastidahomesh.com) is a community group for eastern Idaho that uses both
A starter radio
You need a radio made for the US 915 MHz band, and your phone. Common starting points when we looked in October 2026:
- Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V3: an inexpensive, popular first radio (Idaho Mesh suggests it), though its Bluetooth range is short
- SenseCAP T1000-E: card-sized, with GPS and a built-in battery, around $40
- Seeed XIAO nRF52840 with a Wio-SX1262 radio: tiny and easy on batteries. It's the one we set up ourselves
Getting on Idaho Mesh (MeshCore)
- Put the MeshCore companion firmware on your radio from flasher.meshcore.io (erase a new radio first)
- Install the MeshCore app on your phone, pair the radio over Bluetooth and change the default PIN
- Choose the USA radio preset
- Join the #idahomesh channel, and use #id-test to see how far you reach
- Check idahomesh.org's Getting started page for the current settings: they change from time to time
Tips from setting up our own
- Keep the radio away from your computer. Right next to our PC, ours heard nothing at all; on a power bank across the room, it heard several repeaters within minutes
- Some power banks switch themselves off because a radio draws so little power. If yours keeps turning off, try a different one
- Height beats everything: a radio up high or by a window reaches much farther than one on a desk
- Be a good neighbor: the network is shared, so don't flood it with automatic messages
Want to talk radio?
The Eagle Rock Amateur Radio Club in Idaho Falls lists meetings on the first Wednesday of each month at 7 pm at the College of Eastern Idaho (check their Facebook page for the room). Idaho Mesh and East Idaho Mesh both have online groups for questions.
Questions about a radio, or about getting your phone to talk to one? Send us a message and we'll help you figure it out.
General information in plain English, checked when we wrote it. It isn't legal, tax or professional advice, and rules and products change: for your own situation, check the official source or ask a professional. See our website terms.
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