Welcome to Bir Mesh Network

Frequently Asked Questions

I'm a pilot, how do I get started?

1. Purchase a Meshtastic device that operates on the 868MHz frequency band. We recommend the T-Echo from LilyGo. You can buy it from Hubtronics in India at a discounted community price, or from another vendor of your choice. Although other Meshtastic devices are available, we suggest the T-Echo because it also supports Soft-RF(how-to) firmware, which enables it to function as a FANET beacon. Both SoftRF and Meshtastic version T-echo is the same hardware, just switch the firmware to Meshtastic when using it at Bir for live tracking.

   Note: Click the top button once to power on the T-Echo or long press the bottom button to power on/off. Buttons are very delicate so take care you use them with care. Keep the device in the case when flying. Your Meshtastic device may need flashing the latest firmware. Double tap the up button after plugging it into a computer and get the latest from https://flasher.meshtastic.org. Use version 2.4+ beta or alpha, do not use 2.5 for now as it does not allow precise location on the default channel.

2. Download a configuration file for your Meshtastic device from the tracker configuration.
3. Install the Meshtastic app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
4. From the Meshtastic app(Android only, .../borrow/..... for this one time step), import the downloaded configuration file into your Meshtastic device. Do not make any configuration changes after import as wrong configuration may prevent your device being tracked.
5. The downloaded configuration sets the Bluetooth pin to 123456. For your own safety and security, please change the pin from the settings section of the Meshtastic app.
6. If you are flying anywhere other than Bir, enable MQTT on some of the internet-connected nodes, if the internet connectivity is good, you may enable MQTT on more devices. All the nodes in your mesh will show up on https://live.paratracker.in or https://tracker.bircom.in.
7. Find and copy your device UUID from our tracker, search for your node or locate it on the map. Please note that if you change LongName or ShortName or your device, a new UUID is generated, which will have to be updated on FlyXC.app or Puretrack.io.
8. To show your device on FlyXC.app. Sign in with google account at https://flyxc.app/devices, enable tracking, enable Bircom and enter your device UUID.
9. All Meshtastic devices flying at Bir or anywhere in the world that are using Bircom MQTT will automatically show up on Puretrack.io. To link it to your account, paste your device UUID on puretrack.io/add/bircom after signing in.
10. From the Meshtastic app, send a message on LongFast, and see if it shows up on the map at https://live.paratracker.in, in addition to the telegram group.
11. Check if you're visible on https://flyxc.app/. This requires that you have a GPS fix, so make sure you're not indoors.

I don't have Meshtastic device, but I have a device that supports FANET, how would that work?

At the moment there is only one GXAirCom ground station at Bir, FANET does not have as good a range as Meshtastic so the coverage of your device will be limited. Your devices will automatically show up on Puretrack and Glideandseek. You can also use SoftRF firmware on T-Echo to try out how it works.

How can I contribute?

1. Join our Meshtastic Telegram group at https://t.me/meshtastic_india.
2. Join our Bir Paragliding Community Telegram group at https://t.me/BirParaglidingCommunity.
3. Checkout the project website at Bircom.in.