🛜 My First Impressions of MeshCore Off-Grid Messaging // Michael Lynch

https://mtlynch.io/first-impressions-of-meshcore/

#meshcore #lora #offgrid

the windturbine is still generating significant power (bursts of 1kw+) despite the weather, nice to still have some off grid power despite the solar panels being blocked by the snow

#HomeOffgrid #offgrid #windpower

Want to develop your own chat app that works via Bluetooth, Tor, and pigeons? Or do you want to extend Briar to work via LoRa, Wi-Fi Aware, I2P, WhatsApp, whatever? Or Android is constantly suspending your app in the background?

I've written down some pointers to Briar's source code and research with pieces to start with. Inspired by an amazing #39c3, because sharing is caring.

https://nico.dorfbrunnen.eu/posts/2026/sharing-is-caring/

#briar #tor #mesh #lora #i2p #p4p #p2p #offgrid

Want to develop your own chat app that works via Bluetooth, Tor, and pigeons? Or do you want to extend Briar to work via LoRa, Wi-Fi Aware, I2P, WhatsApp, whatever? Or Android is constantly suspending your app in the background?

I've written down some pointers to Briar's source code and research with pieces to start with. Inspired by an amazing #39c3, because sharing is caring.

https://nico.dorfbrunnen.eu/posts/2026/sharing-is-caring/

#briar #tor #mesh #lora #i2p #p4p #p2p #offgrid

I'm running my brand new generator and it's 'Eco Mode' is driving me nuts.

It's supposed to adjust revs to match the load but with what must be constant load the revs are all over the place and most of the time hunting. This is extremely annoying but I shall endure to get an idea of whether it is more efficient.

Anyone with experience of #generators - want to comment? I won't tell you what it is yet so as not to influence any responses.

Eco => Extreme Cyclic Onnoyance

#OffGrid #narrowboat

Do you hate #broligarchs?
#Billionaires? #AiSlop but still think there is merit in #AI?

Here is my proposal for a stand alone.
OFFGRID COMMUNITY AI SYSTEM.

That's right.Your very own co-op AI

The calculations are very much back of the envelope, first cut, but quite feasible.
A 32billion parameters, frontier level performance compatable open source #llm model. The power requirements is that of 3AC units including cooling. Serves 15-20 concurrent users. 40 households of 4 people each (taking into account actual AI model distributed use metrics and contention ratios)

40 households, subscribing at $30/month over 2 years + power (solar). Train with your own datasets.
Entire set up takes half a rack.

LETS GO!!!

#OpenSource #FOSS #CommunityTech #OpenHardware #EthicalAI #ResponsibleAI #AIForGood #TechForGood #Solarpunk #RegenerativeCulture #Degrowth #AppropriateTechnology #OffGrid #SelfSufficient #Homesteading #Permaculture #RightToRepair #MakerSpace #DIYTech #decentralizedtech

i am *out* of the van
and
i am *in* the bunker

so far, so good 🤞

#offgrid #solarpunk #stb

I'm enjoying the breezy autumn winds from the vast wetlands from the south as the birds are gathering up seeds and nuts for the winter months. The breeze reminds me of the endless days next to the sea, the largest body of life on this world. The salty mist with every crashing wave, released billions of microbes that would enter my sinuses and some would become part of me. Here, birds travel from around the world sing and share the news from afar. Some birds have left, some have arrived, and many choose to stay. The native wildflowers have abundant seed pods they helped plant and pollinate that are drying and will help provide throughout the winter.

The solar garden has the house batteries charged. The sun offers so much and has helped life thrive this year. We had excellent rain that helped doubled the mass of wildflowers. The trees are all healthy and strong. I only lost one tree due to a lightning strike, which another tree survived and recovering.

#offgrid #SolarPunk

I'm enjoying the breezy autumn winds from the vast wetlands from the south as the birds are gathering up seeds and nuts for the winter months. The breeze reminds me of the endless days next to the sea, the largest body of life on this world. The salty mist with every crashing wave, released billions of microbes that would enter my sinuses and some would become part of me. Here, birds travel from around the world sing and share the news from afar. Some birds have left, some have arrived, and many choose to stay. The native wildflowers have abundant seed pods they helped plant and pollinate that are drying and will help provide throughout the winter.

The solar garden has the house batteries charged. The sun offers so much and has helped life thrive this year. We had excellent rain that helped doubled the mass of wildflowers. The trees are all healthy and strong. I only lost one tree due to a lightning strike, which another tree survived and recovering.

#offgrid #SolarPunk

Refreshing my knowledge of grounding and bonding and earth grounds and what not as it applies to off-grid solar. This video series explains it all rather simply. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky5luEx6R2M

Learned something new though. Many of the cheaper stand-alone inverters and the power stations DO NOT work like regular grid power. Instead of 120VAC on L1 and 0VAC on Neutral. They are +60VAC and -60VAC.

So if you were to backfeed a 'solar generator' to one of your house outlets during a grid outage (illegal and dangerous, but people do it all the time). Your house wiring is going to have a neutral/ground bond, so you'll get a 60VAC short and blow up your inverter or solar generator.

#OffGrid #DIY #Solar #SolarGenerator

Refreshing my knowledge of grounding and bonding and earth grounds and what not as it applies to off-grid solar. This video series explains it all rather simply. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky5luEx6R2M

Learned something new though. Many of the cheaper stand-alone inverters and the power stations DO NOT work like regular grid power. Instead of 120VAC on L1 and 0VAC on Neutral. They are +60VAC and -60VAC.

So if you were to backfeed a 'solar generator' to one of your house outlets during a grid outage (illegal and dangerous, but people do it all the time). Your house wiring is going to have a neutral/ground bond, so you'll get a 60VAC short and blow up your inverter or solar generator.

#OffGrid #DIY #Solar #SolarGenerator

So I live on a #boat now and everything gets organised through one Meta product or another - seemingly mostly Facebook and WhatsApp.

I have grudgingly joined some WhatsApp groups, but I refuse to book face.

So I’m trying some hashtags. Is #fediboat is a thing or maybe #Boatstodon? #BoatLife? #Boativerse? Obviously #boating. I can’t tell if any of these are used as I’m on a tiny server! #houseboat
#offGrid #offGridLiving

Or maybe local- #London #RiverLee #LeeNavigation

Anyone out there?

So I live on a #boat now and everything gets organised through one Meta product or another - seemingly mostly Facebook and WhatsApp.

I have grudgingly joined some WhatsApp groups, but I refuse to book face.

So I’m trying some hashtags. Is #fediboat is a thing or maybe #Boatstodon? #BoatLife? #Boativerse? Obviously #boating. I can’t tell if any of these are used as I’m on a tiny server! #houseboat
#offGrid #offGridLiving

Or maybe local- #London #RiverLee #LeeNavigation

Anyone out there?

Yale Climate Connections: ‘Solar suitcases’ bring safe lighting to more than 10,000 clinics across sub-Saharan Africa

https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2025/10/solar-suitcases-bring-safe-lighting-to-more-than-10000-clinics-across-sub-saharan-africa/

#solar #offgrid

So... rain and dark cloudy skies for perhaps the week ahead. That means not much sunshine to even activate the solar panels. I'll be fine for a few days, but the batteries will need a charge.

I have two generators as a backup, one a traditional loud inverter generator. As a smaller engine, it isn't very efficient and no emissions system means a lot of carbon monoxide and NOx that is a big risk for inhalation (headaches and other mortal health risks.) It's only a few kilowatts, which is good for topping off the batteries. The other is my hybrid car, which can supply several kilowatts from its 350 volt inverter or about 800 watts from the 12 volt inverter. Each one has their own risks and safety requirements. I have run the 350 volt system to my solar inputs before, but the risks are high. If a fault happens, will my DC high voltage fuses blow correctly or turn into a 100,000 watt arc lamp? I've seen fuses fail before and a bad safety circuit can be worse than no safety circuit. Safety circuits need to be redundant and diverse, because they do fail in my experience.

The 12 volt inverter is a much safer choice as I don't need too much power this week. But I will continue to design a safety circuit for the high voltage inverter distribution system. Hopefully, I can make the communications to automatically connect with the car's high voltage system. That requires working with the relay disconnect safety check sequencing.

#offgrid #solar #SolarPunk

Yale Climate Connections: ‘Solar suitcases’ bring safe lighting to more than 10,000 clinics across sub-Saharan Africa

https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2025/10/solar-suitcases-bring-safe-lighting-to-more-than-10000-clinics-across-sub-saharan-africa/

#solar #offgrid

Over the weekend @meph added some mind blowing new features to lorapipe.

- APRS over LoRa
- Ethernet over LoRa

https://social.treehouse.systems/@meph/115365077448221139

#hamraadio #radio #lora #meshcore #meshtastic #lorapipe #aprs #ax25 #kiss #tnc #packetradio #networking #cybersecurity #offgrid

Over the weekend @meph added some mind blowing new features to lorapipe.

- APRS over LoRa
- Ethernet over LoRa

https://social.treehouse.systems/@meph/115365077448221139

#hamraadio #radio #lora #meshcore #meshtastic #lorapipe #aprs #ax25 #kiss #tnc #packetradio #networking #cybersecurity #offgrid