Meshtastic Power Settings Reference
The Power configuration section in Meshtastic controls sleep modes, charge management, and power-related behavior. These settings are critical for battery and solar-powered deployments.
Accessing Power Settings
In the app: Radio Config → Power
Via CLI: meshtastic --get power
Is Power Saving Enabled
meshtastic --set power.is_power_saving trueWhen enabled, the node aggressively reduces power consumption by sleeping the radio between receive windows. This is appropriate for CLIENT role nodes that send and receive messages periodically but don't need to relay for others.
Do NOT enable for Router/Repeater nodes - power saving puts the radio to sleep, which means the node cannot relay packets for others. Router and Repeater nodes must keep the radio awake continuously.
On Battery Discharge Values
These settings configure what the node reports for battery state-of-charge at different voltage levels. The defaults work for LiPo batteries; they need adjustment for LiFePO4:
| Setting | LiPo default | LiFePO4 adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| on_battery_shutdown_after_secs | 0 (disabled) | Set to 60-300 for auto-shutdown at critical voltage |
| adc_multiplier_override | 0 (auto) | May need tuning per board for accurate LiFePO4 voltage reading |
Sleep Configuration
For ESP32-based nodes, Meshtastic can use deep sleep between transmissions to dramatically reduce power consumption:
# Enable sleep mode (CLIENT nodes only)
meshtastic --set power.is_power_saving true
# Mesh SDS (Super Deep Sleep) timeout - seconds of no activity before very deep sleep
meshtastic --set power.mesh_sds_timeout_secs 3600
# SDS sleep duration - how long to stay in super deep sleep
meshtastic --set power.sds_secs 3600
# Minimum wake time - stay awake at least this long after waking
meshtastic --set power.min_wake_secs 10Screen and BT Power
# Screen timeout (0 = always off)
meshtastic --set display.screen_on_secs 30
# Bluetooth enable/disable
meshtastic --set bluetooth.enabled true
# BLE pairing mode (random PIN or fixed PIN)
meshtastic --set bluetooth.mode RANDOM_PINPower Consumption by Role
| Role | Sleep mode | Typical current (ESP32) | Typical current (nRF52840) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLIENT with power saving | Yes | 5-15 mA average | 1-3 mA average |
| CLIENT without power saving | No | 35-55 mA | 8-15 mA |
| ROUTER / REPEATER | No (radio always on) | 40-60 mA | 10-18 mA |
| Any role, OLED on | Varies | +15-20 mA | +15-20 mA |
| Any role, WiFi enabled | Varies | +60-150 mA peak | N/A |
Practical Power Optimization Checklist
- Set role correctly: CLIENT with power saving for personal nodes; ROUTER for fixed repeaters
- Set screen timeout to 30 seconds or disable (
screen_on_secs 0) - Disable Bluetooth when using WiFi connection
- Disable WiFi when using Bluetooth (ESP32 only: WiFi and BT share antenna, simultaneous use increases power)
- Set position broadcast to 30+ minutes for fixed nodes
- Set telemetry broadcast to 15-30 minutes
- Reduce TX power to minimum needed for coverage
- Use nRF52840 hardware over ESP32 for 4-5x better battery life on the same battery