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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 8

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 48 forces the AGC to reset every 48 seconds, preventing permanent desensitization.

Flood Advertisement Interval

set flood.advert.interval 47

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. 647 hours is a reasonable setting for a fixed infrastructure node.node on a busy mesh. Small meshes can advert more frequently.

Path Hash Mode

set path.hash.mode 2

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 observedobserved. Recommended.

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.

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