// free · off-grid · no-license radio mesh
Keep the Twin Cities talking when the grid goes dark.
We're a volunteer crew building a community-owned radio network — pocket-sized nodes hopping messages across the metro and Greater Minnesota. No towers, no subscriptions, no permission needed.
// why_mesh
One small radio. Citywide reach.
Cheap LoRa radios become a community-owned messaging network. Every node you add makes it stronger for everyone.
No infrastructure
Works when cell towers and Wi-Fi don't — storms, outages, remote trails, festivals.
Private by default
Encrypted channels. Talk to the whole metro or just your group.
No license needed
Runs on unlicensed 915 MHz. Set region to US and you're legal to go.
Community-owned
Volunteer-run, open-source, decentralized. Built by neighbors, for neighbors.
// what_it's_for
Real ways people use the mesh.
When the power's out, the trail's remote, or the crowd's too big for cell towers, a radio in your pocket keeps the conversation going.
When Hurricane Helene knocked out the network, the mesh kept people talking.
After Helene devastated western North Carolina in 2024, cell and power were down for weeks. Residents used Meshtastic to pass messages household-to-household — no service, no internet. Those neighborhoods then built permanent community meshes so they'd never be cut off again.
The idea behind a local mesh: build it before you need it. A network that's healthy on a normal Tuesday is the one that still works during an ice storm.
Storms & outages
When ice storms take down power and cell service, neighbors can still check in and coordinate.
Up north & off-grid
Cabins, the Boundary Waters, state parks — rural Minnesota with no signal.
Big events
State Fair, festivals, marathons — where cell networks get overloaded.
// get_on_the_mesh
New radio? Here's the whole path.
No experience needed — most people are on the mesh the afternoon their radio arrives. This is the short version; the full walkthrough with exact iPhone & Android settings lives on the Set It Up page.
Charge your radio to 100% first. It reboots a few times during setup, and a half-dead battery is the single most common — and most avoidable — snag.
Install the Meshtastic app
Free on the App Store and Google Play. It pairs to your radio over Bluetooth — it's where you'll read and send messages.
Power on your charged radio
Any small LoRa node works — see Gear for beginner picks. Many ship ready to use, no flashing required.
Set it up for the Twin Cities
Region US, the Medium Range – Fast preset, and CLIENT_MUTE if it's a node you carry in your pocket.
Join the local channel
Scan our channel QR and your messages start flowing across the whole metro mesh — no manual keys to type in.
Say hi
Send a test message, then introduce yourself in Discord and drop your rough location so we can map coverage.
// live_network
The mesh is talking right now.
Real messages and live node data, straight from our network monitor. This isn't a demo — it's the Twin Cities mesh as it's happening.
// get_involved
Help the network grow.
Coverage grows one node at a time. Here's how to make the Twin Cities mesh stronger.
Host a node
Have height? A rooftop or upper-floor window helps relay across the metro.
Become a partner
Libraries, schools, makerspaces and businesses power the backbone.
Fund a repeater
Chip in toward solar repeaters that fill coverage gaps.
Write a guide
The site is open-source — contribute docs, photos, or coverage reports.
The conversation lives in Discord.
Questions, help, coverage reports, idea-sharing. New here? Say hi in #welcome.