Tell someone before you go. Even where there's no signal.
MeshSafe is a free check-in service for bushwalkers and boaters around the Illawarra. It runs over long-range mesh radio — no mobile coverage, no internet, no SIM card needed. Register a trip, check in as you go, and if you don't come back on time, the person you nominated gets an email with your last known position.
$0/month · no account · no app subscriptions · runs on a solar-friendly Raspberry Pi
What on earth is a "mesh radio"?
Your phone normally needs a tower to send a message. In the bush and offshore, there's often no tower. MeshCore is a community network of little battery-powered radios that pass messages along for each other — hilltop to hilltop — until they reach their destination.
You carry a card-sized radio (about $100, lasts days on a charge). It talks to your phone over Bluetooth.
Your message hops between volunteer relay stations on ridgelines and rooftops across the Illawarra and beyond — no towers, no internet, no fees.
Messages are encrypted, and your radio can attach your GPS position — which is how MeshSafe knows where you last were.
Curious about the network itself? The volunteer community that builds and runs it: nswmesh.au
Where the mesh can hear you
Every relay below is one the MeshSafe station has actually heard — real observed network, not a wish list. Shaded circles are an indicative radius around each relay; genuine coverage depends heavily on terrain and can reach much further from a good vantage point (or vanish in a gully). The only real test: post test on #meshsafe from where you'll be walking.
Loading live relay data from the station…
How MeshSafe works
Your details live on this website. Out in the field, everything happens on one public radio channel — #meshsafe — and with one button: the advert.
Register
Name, mobile, and who to email if you're overdue — entered here, never over the radio. Press Advert once to link your radio to your profile.
Registered ✓ Radio “🐐LUX” linked.Log a trip
Post your return time on the channel. MeshSafe asks for an advert to confirm it's really your radio — which also logs your starting position.
out 5pm Mt Keira loop @Karl send an advert 📡 to confirm & start.Check in
When MeshSafe pings you on the channel, send an advert — on the T1000-E that's a double-press of the button on the tracker itself. Proves you're OK, logs your GPS, phone stays in your pocket.
Advert received ✓ Position logged.Escalation
Miss your return time and stay silent for 30 more minutes? Your contact gets an email with your last known position and a map link. Post back when you're home and they get the all-clear.
back @Karl glad you're back safe. Trip closed. 👍What you need
Three things. Two of them are free, and you probably own the third's charger already.
Your phone
Any reasonably recent iPhone or Android. It talks to the radio over Bluetooth — it does not need mobile signal for MeshSafe to work.
You have thisThe MeshCore app
Free on the App Store and Google Play. It's the messaging app you'll use to talk to MeshSafe (and to other people on the mesh).
Free — meshcore.ioA small LoRa radio
The card-sized gadget that does the long-range talking. Clips to your pack, weeks of standby battery, has its own GPS.
≈ AU$100 once, no ongoing costsOur pick: Seeed Studio SenseCAP Card Tracker T1000-E
Credit-card sized, built-in GPS, IP65 water resistance, USB-C charging, and it hangs off a lanyard. The killer feature for MeshSafe: double-press its button and it sends an advert — a full check-in with your position, phone still in your pocket.
Buy in Australia — IoT Store ↗
Make sure you get the 915 MHz version, and select the Australia Mid preset in the app. The listing says "Meshtastic" — same device, we just install MeshCore on it (step 1 below). Other MeshCore-compatible radios work fine too; this is simply the easiest to recommend.
Register
Your details live here on the website — never on the public radio channel. Fill this in, then press the Advert button on your radio so we know which radio is yours. (No radio yet? Set one up first ↓)
Set-up guide (iPhone & Android)
Allow about 30 minutes end to end. Steps 1–2 need a computer with Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge (the firmware installer runs in the browser). Everything after that is on your phone.
Put MeshCore software on your radio
Your T1000-E arrives with different software installed. You'll replace it with MeshCore — done in the browser, no technical skills needed.
- On a computer, open Chrome or Edge and go to meshcore.io/flasher.
- Plug the T1000-E into the computer with a USB-C data cable (the cable that came with it works).
- In the flasher, choose Seeed Studio SenseCAP T1000-E (under "Community Firmware").
- Choose the firmware called Companion Bluetooth — this is the one that talks to your phone.
- Click Enter DFU Mode and pick the serial port that appears (named "nRF…" or "TinyUSB").
- Click Flash, pick the port again, and wait for the progress bar to finish. The device reboots itself — done.
What the flasher asks, in order.
Install the MeshCore app & connect your radio
- On your phone, open the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play (Android) and search MeshCore — or go to meshcore.io and tap your store's link. Install the free app.
- Turn the T1000-E on (hold its button ~3 seconds until it beeps/flashes).
- Open the app, tap Connect, and choose your T1000-E from the Bluetooth list.
- Give yourself a name when asked — this is what MeshSafe and other mesh users will see. First name or nickname is perfect.
Pairing takes under a minute.
Turn on location sharing
This is the setting that lets MeshSafe log where you are when you check in. Without it the service still works — it just won't have a position to give your emergency contact.
- In the MeshCore app, open your device Settings.
- Find Share Location (location in adverts) and turn it on.
- Allow the app to use your phone's location when it asks.
One switch — that's the whole step.
Join the #meshsafe channel
All trip talk happens on one public channel. MeshCore hashtag channels configure themselves from the name — no keys, no invites, nothing to get wrong.
- In the app, open Channels and tap add / +.
- Name it exactly #meshsafe (with the hash). The encryption key sets itself.
- That's it — you'll see MeshSafe's replies and other walkers' trips there.
- Try it: post test on the channel. MeshSafe answers with how well it hears you — do this at a trailhead before relying on coverage!
One word to know the mesh can hear you.
Register on this page
Your name, mobile and emergency contact are entered up here on the website — typed on a real keyboard, stored off-air, never posted to the public channel.
- Fill in the Register form (name, mobile, contact email, ping preference).
- When the site says so, press Advert → Flood Advert in the MeshCore app.
- Your radio pops up on the page — tap "this is me". Done: radio linked to profile.
The advert proves which radio is yours.
Your first trip — all on #meshsafe
- Before you set off, post: out 5pm mt keira loop — your return time plus an optional note. (Add 30m/1h/2h anywhere to override your usual pings, e.g. out 5pm 1h mt keira.)
- MeshSafe asks you to send an advert — that's your signature. Press it; your trip starts and your starting position is logged.
- While walking: when MeshSafe pings you on the channel, send an advert — double-press the button on the T1000-E itself, or use the app's Advert button. That's the whole check-in, and you can do it anytime to leave a position breadcrumb.
- Running late? Post extend 7pm. Back safe? Post back — always close your trip!
A whole trip, start to finish, on the channel.
Every command
Post these on the #meshsafe channel anytime. Not case-sensitive. Anything else you chat about on the channel during a trip quietly counts as a sign of life too.
| You post | What happens |
|---|---|
| test | Radio check, works for anyone: MeshSafe replies with how well it heard you (hops & signal). Do this at the trailhead. |
| out 5pm | Start a trip — back by 5pm today. Add a note and/or an inline ping override: out 5pm 1h mt keira loop. MeshSafe then asks for a confirming advert — the trip only starts when it arrives. Same-day times only. |
| (send an advert) | The check-in. Confirms trip starts, answers reminder pings, and logs your GPS position every single time. |
| 30m / 1h / 2h | Change your reminder interval mid-trip. |
| extend 7pm | Push your return time out. Do this the moment you know you're running late. |
| status | Where you stand: trip state, deadline, last check-in, last position. |
| back | Trip over, you're safe. Also: home or done. If your contact was alerted, they automatically get the all-clear. |
| sos | Immediate alert email to your contact with your last known position — no waiting. If you can reach 000 yourself, always do that first. |
| help | A pocket version of this table. Profile changes (name, contact, pings) happen on this website, not over the radio. |
Know the limits — please read this once
MeshSafe is a nice-to-have — an extra layer on top of good trip planning, not a replacement for it. It's run by one volunteer on hobbyist radio equipment. It is genuinely useful, and it is genuinely not foolproof. Both are true.
It is not a distress beacon
A PLB (personal locator beacon) talks to satellites and alerts professional rescue services directly. MeshSafe emails a friend. For remote or solo trips, carry a PLB — around $300, no subscription, and it works anywhere on Earth.
Coverage has holes
Mesh radio needs a chain of relays between you and Port Kembla. Deep gullies, dense canopy and distance all break the chain. No coverage = your check-ins and SOS simply don't arrive. The escarpment and coast are decent; assume nothing further afield.
Nobody is watching a screen
Escalation is automatic software on a Raspberry Pi. If the power's out, the Pi's crashed, or the email service hiccups at the wrong moment, an alert can be late or lost. There is no staffed control room.
False alarms happen
If you forget to close your trip, your contact gets a scary email while you're eating chips on the couch. Brief the person you nominate: "overdue" usually means "out of coverage or forgot", and the email itself says so.
Also do the old-fashioned things: tell a person your route and return time face-to-face, check the weather, and log on with Marine Rescue NSW if you're heading out on the water — that's a professional service and it's also free.
FAQ
How much does it cost?
The service is free — no account, no subscription. Your only cost is the radio (≈ AU$100 once). It's run as a community project; if it ever gets busy enough to cost real money, that'll be a nice problem.
Does my phone need mobile signal?
Out on a trip: no — that's the whole point. Your phone talks to your radio over Bluetooth, and the radio talks to the mesh. Mobile signal, wifi and SIM cards are not involved anywhere between you and MeshSafe in the field.
You do need internet once, at home, to register on this website. The alert email to your contact is sent from the MeshSafe station in Port Kembla, which has its own internet.
What exactly does my emergency contact receive?
When you register, they get one heads-up email so a future alert isn't mistaken for spam. If you go overdue: an email with your name, mobile number, trip note, expected return time, when you were last heard from, your last known position, and one map link that draws your recent positions in order — so they can see which direction you were travelling and hand a search party a real track, plus each timestamped point separately. If you check in afterwards, they get an all-clear automatically.
How's my privacy?
Straight answer: #meshsafe is a public channel — your trip posts ("out 5pm mt keira", "back") are visible to anyone on it, like a community noticeboard. Your personal details (mobile, emergency contact) live only on this website and in the alert emails — never on the radio. Adverts, including your position when Share Location is on, are broadcast to the mesh by design; that's how mesh networks work, and it's what makes rescue-useful breadcrumbs possible. If broadcasting positions bothers you, leave Share Location off — the service still works, just without the map.
What's the battery life like?
The T1000-E idles for days-to-weeks. For a day walk, charge it the night before and don't think about it again. Your phone's battery matters more — the app doesn't need to stay open, but the radio holds messages for when you reconnect.
Can I use it for multi-day or overnight trips?
Not yet — trips currently need a same-day return time. For an overnighter, log each day as its own trip in the morning ("out 6pm Kanangra day 2"). Proper multi-day trips are on the wish list.
I'm a boater — anything different for me?
Same service, same commands. But please also log on with Marine Rescue NSW (VHF 16 / their app) — that's the real system for boats, staffed by professionals. MeshSafe is a bonus layer, and land-based relays mean coverage drops off as you get further offshore.
MeshSafe isn't answering me on #meshsafe. Help?
1) Check the channel is named exactly #meshsafe (with the hash, no spaces). 2) Post test — if there's no reply within a minute, the mesh probably can't hear you from where you are: move somewhere with a view towards the escarpment or coast and try again. 3) Check the app is on the Australia Mid preset. 4) During registration, remember the website needs a Flood Advert (not a zero-hop one) to spot your radio. Still stuck? There's a friendly local mesh community — search "Illawarra MeshCore" — who love a coverage puzzle.
Who runs this?
A local volunteer, on a Raspberry Pi and a rooftop antenna in Port Kembla, because it seemed like it should exist. It sits on top of the wider volunteer-built MeshCore network across the Illawarra — the relay stations that carry your messages are other people's hobby projects too.