What a MeshCore network is and why I aim to help set one up in the Bay of Plenty region

What is MeshCore (in plain English)

MeshCore is an off-grid, LoRa radio–based mesh messaging system. Phones pair (via Bluetooth) to small battery/solar nodes that pass short messages hop-by-hop, without cell towers or internet. It’s designed for emergencies, outdoor use, and sensor data. There’s an official companion app and open-source firmware. (MeshCore Companion App, MeshCore, GitHub, Apple) Most of the one’s I build are self preserving (sources its power from a solar panel into a battery backup system that can last for up to 2 two weeks depending on size of battery).

Why deploy it across Bay of Plenty

  • Disaster resilience: BOP faces quakes, tsunamis, severe weather, landslides and volcanic risk (e.g., Whakaari/White Island). A LoRa mesh gives a last-resort communications layer when power/cell/internet fail. Similar civil-defence mesh trials have run in Aotearoa. (Emergency Management Bay of Plenty, RNZ)
  • Community scale & cost: Nodes are low-power and inexpensive, so communities, marae, farms, tramping clubs, and councils can help build coverage rather than relying on a single provider. (General MeshCore design & community deployments.)
  • Works with terrain-aware planning: LoRa can cover long distances line-of-sight from hills and ranges common in BOP (Kaimai, Papamoa Hills, Ōhope/Whakatāne ridgelines), making regional backbones feasible. (LoRa characteristics & AU915 regional plan.)

How you do it (step-by-step)

  1. Regulatory & band plan
    Use AU915–928 MHz plan (NZ follows AU915). Ensure devices/firmware conform to local RSM rules and AU915 channelisation/EIRP limits. (The Things Network, Radio Spectrum Management New Zealand, LoRa Alliance®)
  2. Backbone sites (Phase 1)
    Install always-on, solar-powered repeater/relay nodes on high points to stitch towns and valleys: e.g., Kaimai ridge sites → Tauranga/Te Puke, Papamoa Hills → coastal plain, Moutohorā/Ōhope/Whakatāne hills → Ōpōtiki direction. These become the region’s “spine” so local meshes can latch on. (Concept aligned with civil-defence mesh nodes and MeshCore repeaters seen in NZ groups.) (RNZ)
  3. Town & community clusters (Phase 2)
    Seed dense, low-power nodes at schools, marae, community hubs, surf clubs, council buildings, farms, with public access to the Bluetooth pairing. Aim for 1–2 km hops urban, 5–15 km rural LOS (terrain/weather dependent).
  4. Gateways & control (optional)
    Where internet exists, add UDP/Wi-Fi gateways so messages can bridge across districts but still survive if the internet drops (MeshCore supports hybrid routing).
  5. Ops conventions
    • Channels/profiles per use case: CDEM broadcasts, neighbourhood welfare, SAR/volunteer, coastal/boating, farm ops.
    • Message discipline (rate limits), quiet hours, and priority tags for CDEM.
    • Training & drills with Emergency Management BOP (tie to existing readiness programmes). (Emergency Management Bay of Plenty)
  6. Devices & app
    Standardise on MeshCore-compatible LoRa nodes (handhelds or solar rooftops) and the MeshCore Companion App for iOS/Android to keep onboarding simple. (Apple, APKMirror)
    Governance & maintenance
    Shared stewardship between councils/CDEM, community groups, and clubs for site access, solar upkeep, and periodic health checks.

Expected outcomes (what success looks like to myself)

  • Continuity of comms during outages: Short text alerts and check-ins still flow when cellular/internet fail, improving situational awareness for isolated communities.
  • Faster welfare checks: Street-by-street mesh lets wardens and neighbours report needs/damage without driving to coverage zones.
  • Volunteer coordination: SAR, surf clubs, and rural fire can coordinate locally when networks are saturated. (LoRa mesh research for responders.)
  • IoT add-ons: Same mesh can carry sensor pings (rain gauges, river levels, slips, air quality) for hyperlocal awareness. (MeshCore)
  • Community engagement: People get familiar with drills/apps before an event, boosting resilience.

Limitations & realities (so you plan around them)

Power & weather: Solar sites need right panels, batteries, and mounting for BOP’s coastal conditions.

Low bandwidth: Think short texts & telemetry, not photos or voice (unless very specialised systems). Manage expectations.

Density matters: Mesh strength depends on node count and placement; valleys and dense bush reduce range.

Interference & compatibility: Keep to AU915 settings and known-good hardware; other meshes (e.g., Meshtastic) may coexist but require planning to avoid cross-talk or channel congestion.

Quick regional checklist

  • ✅ Confirm AU915 parameters & device conformity (RSM/LoRa Alliance docs). (Radio Spectrum Management New Zealand, LoRa Alliance®)
  • ✅ Pick 6–10 high sites to form a Tauranga–Te Puke–Whakatāne–Ōpōtiki spine.
  • ✅ Stand up pilot clusters in Tauranga/Pāpāmoa and Whakatāne/Ōhope.
  • ✅ Run a tabletop + field drill with Emergency Management BOP. (Emergency Management Bay of Plenty)
  • ✅ Publish a simple “how to pair & send” guide using the MeshCore app. (Apple)

Bay-of-Plenty-specific take on how, why, and the likely outcome of running a MeshCore-style long-range mesh across the region, plus a draft site plan and a lean equipment list you can actually build from.

How (at a glance)

  • Topology: multi-hop LoRa(-like) mesh. A few elevated backbone relays carry traffic east↔west; lots of low-power edge nodes sit where people are (Tauranga, Te Puke, Whakatāne, Ōpōtiki, Kawerau).
  • Links: line-of-sight hops from hilltops (10–20+ km in rural LOS is typical for LoRa-class radios with modest antennas; longer is possible from peaks).
  • Power: hilltop relays are solar + LiFePO₄ and run 24/7; edge nodes are USB/12 V or small solar.
  • Frequencies (NZ): use the 915–928 MHz ISM band under NZ’s Short-Range Devices general user licence (GURL). Stay conservative on EIRP (≤ 1 W / 30 dBm) unless you’ve validated a different limit for your exact channel plan/equipment. Radio Spectrum Management New ZealandGazetteCritical Comms

Why do this here?

  • Resilience: when power/cell/ISP drop (storms, landslides, tsunami warnings), a battery-backed mesh still passes short messages and location beacons. Bay of Plenty CDEM actively promotes multi-channel readiness — this dovetails nicely.
  • Coverage fits the terrain: short coast-hugging towns + steep spurs = a few well-chosen peaks can blanket long stretches of SH2 and the coastal settlements.
  • Low cost, community-operable: inexpensive nodes, open firmware, and shared maintenance.

Outcome you could expect and expand on

  • Backbone: with 5–8 hilltop relays you can create a continuous spine from the Kaimai to Ōpōtiki, with overlapping coastal coverage (Mount/Mauao ↔ Pāpāmoa ↔ Te Puke ↔ Whakatāne/Ōhope ↔ Ōpōtiki).
  • Edge reach: handheld/roof nodes in towns should see 5–10 km to a nearby relay in mixed terrain; 10–20 km LOS from ridgelines; vehicles with roof antennas do better.
  • Operational ties: publish how to “tune to the mesh” next to official channels (local CDEM, council sites, and Radio 1XX for E. Bay) so people know where to listen/talk when power’s out.

Draft Bay of Plenty site plan

PHASE ONE – START OF A BACKBONE.

Pick from these; they’re proven high points with public info and known elevations. (Access/permits vary — check with the land managers noted.)

Western anchor (edge of BoP): Mount Te Aroha — 952 m
Superb western sightline over Kaimai to the Bay; anchors the Tauranga side. (DOC track page confirms height/location.) Land: DOC. New Zealand Government Documents+1

Tauranga harbour mouth: Mauao / Mount Maunganui — 232 m
Covers The Mount, Matapihi, harbour mouth, and long coastal stretches. Land: iwi-owned, co-managed with Tauranga City Council. Tauranga City Council

Coastal ridge: Pāpāmoa Hills Regional Park (Trig) — ~224 m
Excellent line over Pāpāmoa/Pukehina flats; regional-park access via BoP Regional Council.

Central high: Ōtanewainuku — ~640 m
Dominant peak south of Tauranga/Te Puke; great inland throw towards Rotorua corridor and coast. Land: DOC/Forest. New Zealand Government Documents

Te Puke range: Ōtawa Trig — ~565 m
Fills any shadowing from Ōtanewainuku and strengthens coverage to Pukehina/Te Puke valleys. Land: DOC area.

Whakatāne headland: Kohi Point / Toi’s Walk ridgeline — ~250–270 m highpoints
Great sight over Whakatāne/Ōhope and the coast. (Council trail information; topography peaks ~260 m). Land: Whakatāne District Council reserves.

Offshore booster (optional, permit-dependent): Moutohorā / Whale Island — highpoint ~352 m
Would provide phenomenal coastal fill from Ōhope to Waiōtahi/Ōpōtiki — but it’s a protected wildlife sanctuary; any equipment would require approvals.

Rollout idea: start with Mauao + Pāpāmoa Hills + Ōtawa + Ōtanewainuku, test edge links in Tauranga/Te Puke. Add Kohi Point for Eastern Bay. If needed, extend west to Te Aroha for redundancy and east towards Ōpōtiki.

Equipment & build recipe (proven, off-grid friendly)

Relay node (hilltop)

  • Radio: LoRa-class transceiver at 915–928 MHz with external SMA (e.g., SX1262/SX1276-based board) + small single-board computer or MCU (for store-and-forward, routing, metrics).
  • Antenna: 6–9 dBi fiberglass collinear, 915 MHz; short low-loss coax; inline lightning arrestor; mast (3–6 m) with stainless hardware & guying.
  • Power: 50–100 W solar panel; 12 V 20–40 Ah LiFePO₄; MPPT controller; low-voltage disconnect; enclosure temp probe + watchdog.
  • Box: IP65/66 polycarbonate cabinet, breathable vent, desiccant, gland seals.
  • Grounding: bonded mast + surge protector to earth stake/rock anchors where feasible.
  • Telemetry: low-datarate health beacons; optional GPS for timing.

Edge node (home/vehicle/community hub)

  • Radio: same band; 2–5 dBi whip (handheld/indoor) or 3–6 dBi roof antenna (vehicle/building).
  • Power: USB-C or 12 V; small UPS or 10–20 W solar for community hubs.

Config & ops

  • Channel plan: in NZ you can use 915–928 MHz ISM; for LoRa-compatible gear, many NZ deployments follow AS923-1 or AU915 regional parameter sets — pick one and stick to it across the fleet so devices interoperate and stay inside GURL limits.
  • EIRP: default radios to ≤ 30 dBm EIRP (1 W) unless you’ve confirmed another power profile is compliant for the exact sub-band/modulation you use. (RSM’s SRD GURL governs use; industry summaries note 915–928 MHz operation under that licence.)
  • Duty cycle / etiquette: LoRa-style links are very spectrum-efficient; keep beacons short and infrequent. Avoid continuous high-throughput use; mesh is for small texts, pings, positions.

Coordination & permissions (important)

  • Land access: Mauao is iwi-owned/City-managed; Pāpāmoa Hills is a Regional Park; Kaimai/Ōtanewainuku/Ōtawa are DOC lands; Kohi Point is council reserve; Moutohorā is a sanctuary (permits essential). Engage the relevant managers early.
  • Civil Defence alignment: let Emergency Management Bay of Plenty (EMBOP) and the district councils know what channels/callsigns you’ll publish; they provide the official readiness umbrella and public info channels.
  • Public comms: in Eastern Bay, Radio 1XX is the known emergency broadcaster — include “tune to 1XX” alongside mesh instructions in your flyers.

What success looks like (in practice)

  • Day-to-day: quiet network carrying heartbeat beacons, short texts, and location breadcrumbs for tramps, farms, boats close to shore.
  • Event mode: if mains/ISP fail, community hubs (libraries, marae, surf clubs, fire stations) still exchange short messages and check-ins via the relays.
  • Coverage: coast from Waihi Beach → Tauranga → Maketū/Pukehina → Matatā → Whakatāne/Ōhope → Ōpōtiki gets overlapping cells; inland valleys get fill from Ōtanewainuku/Ōtawa.
  • Expansion: add small micro-relays on community buildings to flatten remaining dead zones.