GETTING STARTED

Configuration Guides

Step-by-step instructions for setting up your Meshtastic node on the UAE mesh. All guides use the EU Long Range preset — the community standard.

💡 Need help? Reach out to fellow UAE operators in the Meshtastic community Discord for device-specific advice and friendly peer review.

Essential

⚙️ LoRa / Radio Config

Region, modem preset, hop limit, and frequency settings — the most important step for joining the UAE mesh.

Essential

👤 User Config

Set your long name, short name, and hardware model visibility for the network.

Essential

📻 Channel Config

Default channel, encryption key (PSK), and position sharing controls.

Recommended

🔧 Device Config

Device roles, node info broadcast intervals, and behaviour settings.

Recommended

📍 Position Config

GPS broadcast intervals, smart position updates, and fixed coordinates for static nodes.

Optional

🌐 MQTT Config

Connect your node to the internet — broker address, credentials, and uplink mode for map reporting.

⚙️ LoRa / Radio Configuration

This is the most critical setting. All UAE community nodes must use the same region and modem preset to communicate.

Setting	Value
Region	EU_868
Modem Preset	LONG_RANGE / SLOW (Long Fast)
Frequency Slot	Default (0 — auto)
Hop Limit	3
TX Power	0 (max allowed)
TX Enabled	True
Override Duty Cycle	False

⚠️ Important: The region must be set to EU_868 — this is the standard for the UAE community. Using a different region means your node will operate on different frequencies and won't hear other community nodes.

What does Long Range / Slow mean?

Uses Spreading Factor 12 (SF12) for maximum range
Bandwidth: 125 kHz — good balance of range and reliability
Coding Rate: 4/8 — maximum error correction
Trade-off: slower data rate (~200 bps) but significantly more range
Ideal for the UAE's flat desert terrain and urban canyon environments

👤 User Configuration

Configure how your node identifies itself on the mesh.

Setting	Recommendation
Long Name	Your preferred name (e.g. "Ahmed-DXB")
Short Name	Up to 4 characters (e.g. "ADXB")
Licensed Operator	Set if you hold an amateur radio licence

💡 Tip: Including your emirate abbreviation in your name (DXB, AUH, SHJ, AJM, RAK, FUJ, UAQ) helps operators quickly identify node locations.

📻 Channel Configuration

The default channel settings ensure all community nodes can communicate.

Setting	Value
Channel Name	LongFast (default)
PSK (Pre-Shared Key)	AQ== (default — public)
Uplink Enabled	False (unless running MQTT)
Downlink Enabled	False (unless running MQTT)
Position Enabled	True

💡 Tip: Keep the default LongFast channel for community communication. You can add secondary private channels for friends or groups alongside it.

🔧 Device Configuration

Choose the role that matches how you'll use the node.

Setting	Recommendation
Role	CLIENT (default for mobile), ROUTER for relay nodes
Node Info Broadcast (secs)	10800 (3 hours)
Double Tap as Button	Your preference
Rebroadcast Mode	ALL (default)

Role Guide

CLIENT — personal use, paired with phone, screen enabled
CLIENT_MUTE — same as client but does not rebroadcast others' messages
ROUTER — dedicated relay, no screen, optimised for forwarding
ROUTER_CLIENT — hybrid relay that also acts as a client
REPEATER — minimal processing, pure packet forwarding

📍 Position Configuration

Control how and when your node shares its location.

Setting	Value
GPS Enabled	True (if hardware supports)
Position Broadcast (secs)	900 (15 min) or 3600 (1 hr) for static
Smart Position	True
Fixed Position	Enable for permanently mounted nodes

💡 Tip: For rooftop or fixed installations, set a fixed position manually and increase the broadcast interval to save airtime and battery.

🌐 MQTT Configuration

MQTT bridges your node to the internet, allowing it to appear on public mesh maps and relay messages via the cloud.

Setting	Value
MQTT Enabled	True
Broker Address	mqtt.meshtastic.org
Username	meshdev
Password	large4cats
Encryption Enabled	True
JSON Enabled	False
Map Reporting	True
Map Position Precision	13–15 (neighbourhood level)

⚠️ Note: MQTT requires your node to have Wi-Fi internet access. Only enable uplink on the channel you want bridged. Avoid enabling downlink unless you understand the traffic implications — it can flood your local mesh with internet messages.