Meshday on the 13th of every month: Collaborative network expansion

Why a Meshday?

Many amateur radio operators and tech enthusiasts are already testing hardware, locations, coverage ranges, and software options. The goal is to ensure that as many nodes as possible remain available on a permanent basis. Meshday is also intended to help coordinate these efforts on a regular basis and raise the profile of the network. This is because messages that are sent do not always immediately find a receiving station for a brief text QSO.

The idea is inspired byT-Day, a concept familiar from CB radio: a recurring event day on which as many stations as possible take deliberate action to demonstrate connections and coverage. For Meshday, this concept is applied to digital mesh radio networks.

Suggestion: The 13th as Mesh Day

With Meshday, we want to provide a boost for collaborative network expansion. Our proposal is to designate the13th of every monthas a regular Meshday. Here’s a little mnemonic: “M” is the 13th letter of the alphabet.

The advantage of this schedule is that it doesn't always fall on the same day of the week. This spreads the activity out over the course of the year and gives different participants the opportunity to get involved.

Even though continuous operation of the nodes is desirable, Meshday is a time set aside specifically for testing, monitoring, and communication. Anyone working on their hardware, testing new antenna locations, or preparing the next phase of their node’s expansion now has a fixed target date.

This makes it easier to see which stations are accessible, where there are gaps, and how the network is developing in the region.

Join in and give it a try

Meshday aims to bring people together, showcase technology, and promote the joint development of regional mesh networks.

At the same time, we want to get as many amateur radio operators and tech enthusiasts as possible excited about these projects. Those who already own hardware can keep it running as long as possible and test it extensively on Meshday. For those looking to get started, this is a great opportunity to explore the various systems and gain their first hands-on experience.

We hope this idea will be well-received by the community, and we wish you every success and enjoyment as you connect with others!

YourRatzeburg Local Chapter E(39)

P.S.: Feel free to share information, helpful links, and your thoughts using the comment section!

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Meshday on the 13th of every month: Collaborative network expansion