YOUR FIRST OFF-GRID CONVERSATION
Four radios.
One little mesh.
Stay in touch when the signal disappears. Set up your four ThinkNode M2s, connect your iPhones, and send that first “can you hear me?”
HELLO, MESH▂▄▆ ▰
MESSAGE IN ✓▂▄▆ ▰
MESSAGE IN ✓▂▄▆ ▰
MESSAGE IN ✓▂▄▆ ▰
A LITTLE CONTEXT
Your phone writes it.
Your radio carries it.
Each person keeps an M2 nearby and connects to it with the Meshtastic app. The radios form the mesh; the phones are your keyboards. A radio in between can help carry a message further.
01 / GET CONNECTED
From box to first message.
Do this together, with all four radios nearby.
Your checkmarks stay on this browser.
02 / LEARN BY PLAYING
Follow a message through the mesh.
A teaching simulation.
It does not connect to your real radios.
03 / GET UNSTUCK
A few things to check.
Start nearby. Change one thing at a time.
Then send another short test.
My iPhone can’t find the M2 +
Charge and restart the radio. Keep it close to the phone and open Connect in Meshtastic. Turn on iPhone Bluetooth and allow Meshtastic under Settings → Privacy & Security → Bluetooth. Disconnect any other phone using that radio. If pairing is stale, forget it in iOS Bluetooth settings, then reconnect from Meshtastic.
Official Bluetooth help ↗We’re connected, but messages don’t arrive +
Bluetooth only connects a phone to its own radio. Compare all four radios: hardware band, region, modem preset, frequency slot, and channel name/key. Re-import the lead radio’s channel configuration if one differs. If an AEAD option is present, it must match too. Check that transmission is enabled and the selected channel is Crew4.
Official LoRa settings ↗The message says delivered. Did everyone get it? +
A mesh acknowledgement for a group message is not four read receipts. Have each of the other three people reply with their name. For a direct message, check for recipient confirmation; a relay confirmation alone does not prove the recipient received it.
Official delivery status guide ↗It works indoors, but not on our walk +
Try a clearer path and a higher, open position. Walls, terrain, buildings, and bodies affect the link. Keep each phone near its own powered radio. Bring everyone closer to find the break, then spread out gradually. A powered CLIENT in between may relay; it still needs a usable radio path on both sides.
Official device roles ↗Can we message with airplane mode on? +
Once configured, try airplane mode with Bluetooth explicitly turned back on. Turn Wi-Fi off for your test. Send through the Meshtastic app and ask the others to reply. Keep this guide open before disconnecting from the internet, or print the full checklist below.
Do we need to update the firmware? +
The M2 comes with Meshtastic installed. Try setup first. If compatibility problems persist, compare firmware versions and follow the official update instructions for the exact ThinkNode M2 target. Back up settings first; some flashing options erase them. Browser flashing of the ESP32 M2 normally needs a computer and USB data cable.
Official Meshtastic flasher ↗READY FOR THE TRAIL
Keep the checklist with you.
Print every step, including your four-radio progress.