Key Repeater Settings

These settings are most critical for deploying and maintaining MeshCore repeater and room server nodes.

AGC Reset Interval - Fix Receiver Deafness

set agc.reset.interval 48

Problem it solves: If a high-power transmitter (such as a nearby ham radio or commercial repeater) is within range, the LoRa receiver's automatic gain control (AGC) can be driven into a saturated state. After the nearby transmission ends, the AGC does not always recover correctly, leaving the MeshCore repeater effectively deaf to normal LoRa signals.

Symptom: The repeater was working, a nearby radio transmission occurred, and now the repeater is not hearing any nodes even though they are transmitting normally.

Fix: The value is in seconds (rounded to a multiple of 4; 0 disables the periodic reset). Setting agc.reset.interval 4 forces the AGC to reset every 4 seconds, preventing permanent desensitization.

Flood Advertisement Interval

set flood.advert.interval 647

Controls how often the repeater floods its advert (presence). The value is in hours (valid 3-168, default 12). Lower values mean neighbors discover the repeater faster after power-on, but generate more radio traffic. 6 hours is a reasonable setting for a fixed infrastructure node.

Path Hash Mode

set path.hash.mode 02

Sets the size of this repeater's own advert path-hash (it does not control message-cache granularity or forwarding):

0 - 1-byte hash: default; minimal overhead, higher chance of hash collision in large networks 1 - 2-byte hash: more precision at slightly higher overhead 2 - 3-byte hash: highest precision; use in very large networks where collisions are observed

Packet Repeat (Room Server)

set repeat on

On room server firmware, this enables the node to also act as a packet repeater in addition to its store-and-forward function. Only enable if the room server has good placement; a poorly-placed room server acting as a repeater can cause more harm than good to routing.

TX Power

set tx 20

TX power is set with set tx <dbm>, valid range 1-22 dBm (the SX1262 maximum is 22). For unlicensed operation in the US 902-928 MHz band, the 30 dBm (1 W) conducted limit is set by FCC Part 15.247, not Part 97. (Part 97 - licensed amateur - allows up to 10 W PEP for spread spectrum under 47 CFR 97.313(j), but it requires a license, prohibits encryption, and requires station ID, so default-encrypted MeshCore cannot lawfully run under Part 97.) Antennas over 6 dBi require a dB-for-dB reduction in conducted power. More power is not always better - an overdriven signal can desensitize nearby receivers including your own.

Region Configuration

region put us
region put us-co us
region save

Region scopes control which nodes can see and communicate through this repeater. The hierarchical scheme (us › us-co) allows regional segmentation in large deployments.

Name and Location

set name MyRepeater-Site1
set lat 39.7392
set lon -104.9903

Always set a meaningful name and accurate coordinates for infrastructure nodes. This allows map tools (such as the MeshCore map at meshcore.co.uk/map.html) to display the repeater correctly and helps operators diagnose coverage gaps.