Radio Settings and Presets
Correct radio settings are essential for your repeater to interoperate with other nodes. The simplest and most reliable approach is to use the built-in preset.
Use the USA/Canada preset
In the MeshCore app, navigate to Choose Preset and select USA/Canada (Recommended). This preset automatically applies the correct frequency plan, bandwidth, spreading factor, and coding rate for the North American MeshCore network.
Do not manually set individual radio parameters unless you understand their effects and have a specific reason to deviate. Incorrect settings will make your repeater invisible to the rest of the network.
What the preset sets
For reference, the USA/Canada preset resolves to settings within the 902 - 928 MHz band (commonly referred to as "915 MHz hardware"). As of the October 2025 "narrow" migration the US/Canada default preset is 910.525 MHz / SF7 / BW 62.5 kHz / CR 5. These values can change with firmware updates, so the authoritative step is to read the actual values from the app or via the serial CLI (get radio) and match the network you intend to join.
Selecting the correct US/Canada region preset is also a compliance control: it confines the radio to the 902 - 928 MHz ISM band authorized under 47 CFR 15.247. Running a non-US preset (for example the EU 868 MHz default) on US hardware can place transmissions outside the authorized band.
Individual parameter reference
| Parameter | Recommended | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency | Set by preset | 902 - 928 MHz (US ISM band). Do not use EU 868 MHz hardware on the US network. |
| Bandwidth (BW) | Preset default | Narrower BW = longer range, slower speed. Leave at preset default for network compatibility. |
| Spreading Factor (SF) | Preset default | Higher SF = better range, lower throughput. Keep at preset default. |
| Coding Rate (CR) | Preset default | Higher CR = better error correction, more overhead. Keep at preset default. |
| Flood hop maximum | Default (64) | MeshCore uses path-based routing, not a per-message hop-limit. The firmware flood hop maximum (flood.max) defaults to 64; you can cap flood propagation lower with set flood.max <0-64>. In practice 3 - 5 hops spans substantial distances and delivery reliability falls off beyond that. The default is sufficient for most deployments. |
Public vs. private channel
Configure your repeater on the Public channel so all network participants can read messages relayed through it. A repeater relays mesh traffic (flood adverts, public-channel messages, and routed direct messages) regardless of channel — it forwards packets without decrypting them. Private or custom channel keys only determine which nodes can decrypt those messages, not which repeaters forward them.