09/05/2025 – HUGE News; MadisonMesh and nova meshtastic join forces, and more!
Two weeks ago MadisonMesh partnered with NoVA Meshtastic which EXPONENTIALLY grew the network. After placing a new node on Jarrell Mountain in Madison and changing the existing MadisonMesh nodes to Long Fast, Frequency Slot 9, Hop Count 5, MadisonMesh linked with NoVA Meshtastic and joined a network that now spans from Madison, north to Leesburg, west to Winchester, and east to Fairfax! The new node on Jarrell Mountain, MMJM, has a direct RF link to Tysons Corner! MadisonMesh joinging forces with NoVA Meshastic opens up resources, man power, and scalability. In addition to the MadisonMesh Discord, please consider joining NoVA Meshtastic Signal and Groups.io.
Updated Network Status Links
- MadisonMesh MeshSense Server – Located in Madison, VA
- NoVA Meshtastic MeshSense Server – Located in Warrenton, VA
- NoVA Meshmap Server
New build option! Check out the Solar Buoy made by Steve Heinz. Steve designed and built the Solar Buoy and had it featured in a hackster.io article. This node is an ideal solution for treetop deployments. MadisonMesh mountain top nodes will likely be converted to this design this fall.
There should be new backbone nodes coming online in the next few weeks at area amateur radio repeater sites. Working with area and regional amateur radio clubs, MadisonMesh should be installing nodes at Massanutten and in Gordonsville. Once these locations are online, another annoucement will be made.
07/30/2025 – How to use madisonmesh
Getting on MadisonMesh is very easy to do. It does not require any technical knowledge if you don’t want it to. Getting on the mesh network is as easy as buying a ready to use node and turning it on. All the magic happens automatically (for the most part)! The nodes that we are placing at strategic locations in the county (mountains, towers, silos, etc) are not required to use a Meshtastic device, but they CAN/WILL enhance the network. All you need is a node for youself and someone else nearby with another node.
There are two ways to get on the network:
- Buy a ready to go node
- Build a node
Ready to go out of the box nodes:
- LILYGO T-Echo – Requires a bluetooth connection to a phone or tablet
- LILYGO T-Deck Plus – All in one device
- RAKwireless WisMesh Pocket v2 – Requires a bluetooth connection to a phone or tablet
- muzi works – several different options
- Etsy – Do a search for Meshtastic on Etsy and find many ready to go nodes that have been designed by some very talented people
If you are so inclined to build your own, you probably already know how to find the parts. If you want to build one yourself but you feel like you aren’t technically inclined, I encourage you to try anyway. There are many options that are modular and don’t require soldering. Think of it like building Legos!
Here are some helpful links on how to get started:
- Meshtastic – Getting Started
- The Comms Channel – Getting Started with Meshtastic Video Series <– Probably the best source of information
- Atlavox – Fastest way to get started with Meshtastic | WisBlock Meshtastic Starter Kit SETUP <–Shows how easy and fast it is to build a node
- Ham Radio Crash Course – Get Started With Meshtastic FAST! – (Ham radio guy but this is not ham radio related)
A simple Google or YouTube search for “Meshtastic” will get you pretty much all you need.
Another great way to get help, ideas, etc is to JOIN THE DISCORD SERVER! There is already a small group of people in the Madison County area ready to help! You can also email [email protected] with any questions.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE ask questions if you want to get started! The success of MadisonMesh relies on many things, but one of the main things is you! The more people that use MadisonMesh, the bigger the network becomes!
11/11/2024 – Join the conversation on our discord server
MadisonMesh now has a Discord server! Please join the “on-grid” discussion about MadisonMesh! https://discord.gg/VQpEYaRk
10/22/2024 – Big Steps Forward But We Need MORE!
MadisonMesh now has a live status page: https://map.madisonmesh.com/
The live status page is best viewed on a devices with a larger screen. It can be viewed on a mobile device but it is not great. The developer of the status page software is aware and will look into improving it.
MadisonMesh is now extended from Brightwood and Oakpark, over to Syria! This is a big step and provides coverage to Graves Mountain Lodge and the surrounding area. It is possible that the Graves Mountain node reaches Skyline Drive but it hasn’t been verified yet. Messages have been successfully sent from Graves Mountain to Brightwood.
The next focus will be extending south into the town of Madison. One or two locations within the town should get the required coverage. Chosen locations will need to be of the highest points within the town. If you are interested or have a contact that you think would be interested in helping, PLEASE reach out to [email protected]. Please also consider donating at https://gofund.me/4e21b66b.
Antenna upgrades have also been made at the Oakpark and Graves Mountain sites. Originally 5.8 dBi gain omni directional antennas were used but they were recently upgraded to 10 dBi gain omni directional antennas.
09/04/2024 – predictive coverage map
This is a “predictive” coverage map, which means that it is built using software, not actual survey data. Use this picture to get a “ballpark” idea of what the coverage area of the current network is.
08/29/2024 – First MadisonMesh Node in Oak Park!
The first MadisonMesh node was placed in the Oak Park area on 08/18/2024. The range of this node is very impressive and reaches into Brightwood fairly easily. The name of the node is MadisonMesh-HH, shortname MMHH, and is operating in Client mode right now. Please feel free to connect to it and use it. There are very few members on the mesh because it is so new, but check it out and you might be surprised.
Madisonmesh 