LilyGO T-Display P4
MeshOS · Recommended
ESP32-P4 board with built-in display. Pairs with the official MeshOS license for a polished out-of-the-box experience — the preferred build for new operators in Prescott.
Prescott, Arizona · 910.525 MHz
An off-grid LoRa mesh for the Prescott area.
MeshCore Prescott is a community-run, long-range radio mesh built on the MeshCore firmware family. Send text messages and check-ins across town without cell service, internet, or a subscription — just a small LoRa radio and the MeshCore companion app.
Coverage
Line-of-sight, terrain-aware, and growing one node at a time.
LoRa is a radio technology, not the internet — range depends on antenna height, line-of-sight, and the terrain between you and the nearest mesh node. Prescott’s granite ridges, Thumb Butte, and the Bradshaws all shape what gets through. Every new rooftop or high-ground repeater expands what the rest of us can reach.
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Today. Thirty-two repeaters are online across Northern Arizona. Coverage still depends on your antenna, elevation, terrain, and line-of-sight to the nearest repeater.
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Next. Seven additional repeaters are currently being tested prior to deployment in other needy parts of our community. As each site is proven and placed, the mesh will gain more reach, resilience, and route options.
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The model. MeshCore is a multi-hop store-and-forward mesh. Your handheld doesn’t need to hit every node directly — messages relay from node to node until they arrive. More repeaters = more coverage and redundancy for everyone.
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Help us fill the map. If you have a rooftop with a clear view west, north, or toward Prescott Valley, that’s exactly the kind of site we want next. Reach out below.
Get started
Six steps from box to mesh.
MeshCore is friendly to start with, but it’s still radio. Follow these steps in order and you’ll be on the air the same day.
Step 01
Pick supported hardware
Choose a device with a MeshCore firmware target for 910.525 MHz operation. See the hardware section below for current options.
Step 02
Flash MeshCore / MeshOS
Use the MeshCore web flasher or vendor installer to put MeshCore (or the licensed MeshOS build on supported devices) onto the board.
Step 03
Install the companion app
Pair the device with the MeshCore companion app on iOS or Android over BLE so you can read and send messages from your phone.
Step 04
Set name, region & radio
Pick a callsign or handle, use the region name PRC, confirm 910.525 MHz, and set SF7 / CR7 / 62.5 kHz before joining the local Prescott public channel.
Step 05
Send an advert / test message
Broadcast an advert so other nodes know you exist, then send a test message into the Prescott channel. Note your hop count and signal.
Step 06
Say hi & join the local net
Introduce yourself in the public channel and join the Discord server below. We’ll help you tune in.
Supported hardware
What works on Prescott MeshCore.
Several LoRa boards run MeshCore today. The list below is what we recommend locally, from grab-and-go handhelds to dedicated repeater builds.
LilyGO T-Deck / T-Echo / T-Beam
Handheld class
Popular all-in-one handhelds with display and (T-Deck) keyboard. MeshCore firmware targets are available for compatible 910.525 MHz operation — double-check the exact SKU before flashing.
RAKwireless WisBlock / WisMesh
Repeater class
RAK4631 / WisBlock and the WisMesh family run MeshCore as solid 24/7 repeater nodes. This is what the Prescott Core Repeater is built on — rugged enclosure, external antenna, low power draw.
Heltec & other LoRa boards
Compatible
Several Heltec WiFi LoRa boards and other ESP32+SX126x designs have MeshCore firmware targets. Compatibility varies by board revision and radio chip — confirm the firmware target exists for the exact board before buying.
Raspberry Pi 4 / 5 + LoRa HAT
Advanced · Gateway / repeater
For operators who want a more flexible gateway or repeater, a Raspberry Pi 4 or 5
with a SX126x LoRa HAT can run pyMC_Core / pyMC_Repeater.
More setup than a flashed dev board, but more headroom for scripting and logging.
A note on compatibility.
Not every LoRa board ships a MeshCore firmware target out of the gate, and the exact
variant matters — SX1262 vs SX1276, 910.525 MHz operation vs EU 868 MHz, board revision,
and so on. When in doubt, check the MeshCore device list and confirm the build for
your specific SKU before ordering.
Mesh services
PRCBot is on the mesh.
Prescott MeshCore includes a local bot service called PRCBot. It is
available for getting-started help and only communicates on the #prcbot
channel.
How to start
Send cmd on #prcbot.
For now, send the message cmd to PRCBot for a brief listing of the
getting-started commands that are currently available.
Channel rule
Keep bot traffic in one place.
PRCBot only listens and replies on #prcbot. Use the regular Prescott
public channel for human conversation, check-ins, and general mesh traffic.
Live status
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Network & nodes.
A snapshot of what’s online, in testing, and planned around Prescott. Dan updates this whenever a node changes state — refresh to pull the latest.
Get in touch
New to MeshCore in Prescott? Say hi.
Whether you’re flashing your first handheld, scouting a rooftop, or thinking about putting up a high-ground repeater, join the Discord server for questions and local support. The mesh gets better with every node.