SonomaMesh

Getting started in Sonoma County

Four steps to get your first MeshCore node on the air — typically 15–30 minutes and about $25–$50 in hardware.

1

Install the MeshCore app

Download the free MeshCore companion app for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux, or straight from a web browser via Web Bluetooth. This is how you'll send and receive messages once your node is set up.

Get the app at meshcore.io
2

Get a 915 MHz companion node

Buy an inexpensive LoRa companion node built for the US 915 MHz band — popular starter devices include the Heltec V3, Wio Tracker L1 Pro, ThinkNode M1, or WisMesh Tag, available from Seeed Studio, RAK Wireless, Heltec, Elecrow, or AliExpress. Expect to pay roughly $25–$50.

See recommended devices
3

Flash it and set your region

Plug the device in and use the MeshCore Web Flasher in your browser (no software install needed) to load the firmware. Choose the USA/Canada region preset so your node uses the correct 915 MHz frequency plan.

Open the Web Flasher
4

Join the Bay Area MeshCore community

Connect to the Bay Area MeshCore Discord to confirm current regional frequency and channel settings (they can change as the network grows), ask setup questions, and let people know you're online from Sonoma County.

Join Bay Area MeshCore

Say hello in the #sonoma-county channel

Once your node is on the mesh, add the #sonoma-county hashtag channel to chat with other local users directly — it's public, so anyone can join just by knowing the name. Scan the QR code or tap the link below on a phone with the MeshCore app installed to add it automatically, or add it by hand: open the app, tap the three-dot menu, choose Add Channel → Join a Hashtag Channel, and type sonoma-county.

Join #sonoma-county
QR code that opens MeshCore and adds the #sonoma-county hashtag channel Scan with your phone's camera

Thinking about a hilltop repeater?

If you're on a ridge, hilltop, or barn roof with a clear view, a solar-powered repeater node left running 24/7 can dramatically extend coverage for everyone downhill of you — this is exactly the kind of siting that helps close the gap between the Bay Area and Sonoma County. We've put together a full walkthrough on siting, hardware, and configuration.

Learn how to grow the mesh

More Bay Area MeshCore channels worth joining

Beyond #sonoma-county, the wider Bay Area MeshCore network runs several public hashtag channels for testing, alerts, and coordination. Anyone can join by name and key — scan a QR code below in the MeshCore app under Add Channel → Scan QR Code, or tap the link on a phone with the app installed. Reference: Bay Area MeshCore channel directory.

Public

The default channel where most general mesh chatter happens — the mesh water cooler.

QR code that adds the Public MeshCore channel Join

#test

Ping this channel to confirm your node is reaching the wider mesh without cluttering Public.

QR code that adds the #test MeshCore channel Join

#alert

Network-wide alerts and urgent, time-sensitive communications.

QR code that adds the #alert MeshCore channel Join

#fire

Automated wildfire alerts covering the Bay Area.

QR code that adds the #fire MeshCore channel Join

#power

Automated PG&E power-outage and PSPS alerts.

QR code that adds the #power MeshCore channel Join

#earthquake

Automated USGS earthquake alerts, magnitude 3.0 and higher.

QR code that adds the #earthquake MeshCore channel Join

#weather

Automated National Weather Service alerts for Bay Area zones.

QR code that adds the #weather MeshCore channel Join

#hamradio

General ham radio chat and coordination across the Bay Area MeshCore network.

QR code that adds the #hamradio MeshCore channel Join

#cert

Community Emergency Response Team coordination for trained volunteers.

QR code that adds the #cert MeshCore channel Join

A note on frequencies & regional settings

Different regional MeshCore communities sometimes use different channel/frequency presets. Don't assume a setting from one region (for example, Southern California) applies here.

Always confirm the current frequency, bandwidth, spreading factor, and coding rate for the Bay Area / Sonoma network directly in the Bay Area MeshCore Discord before configuring a new node — these settings can be updated as the network evolves, and getting them wrong means your node won't talk to anyone else's.

Not sure your setup will work?

Browse real-world use cases from around Sonoma County to see how neighbors are already putting MeshCore to work.

See use cases