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Not a traveller but want to get into meshtastic too.

The Nano G2 Ultra is a good device for beginners. You can even install an extension board and play around easily with sensors.

The appropriate frequency band is in the 863-928 MHz range, specifically the AS923 frequency plan. Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam typically use the AS923-925 frequency plan, with uplink channels around 923.2 MHz to 924.8 MHz. Devices usually supports frequencies from 470-510 MHz and 863-928 MHz, with the high-frequency (HF) model covering 863-928 MHz, which includes the AS923 band used in Southeast Asia.

Thanks for all that awesome info. Would a single device be able to cover the necessary ranges for all of these countries?

If I am not mistaking the Heltec V3 operates in frequencies 863-928MHz, if you buy this version. However I think that for each region, you would have to change the frequency based on the region you are at. Look at this map for some of the nodes in the region: https://meshmap.net/

Eg. Singapore 923MHz, Kuala Lumpur 919MHz, etc.

Thanks for all the info and recommendations. Based on the map, it looks like there are a few people bouncing around these regions. Do you find that the map is a fairly accurate display of the overall meshtastic network? Or are there quite a few others who aren't displayed here? As for devices, the Heltec V3 looks like a good starter option. I also found this beginner device at a similar price point: https://www.seeedstudio.com/Wio-SX1262-with-XIAO-ESP32S3-p-5982.html Do you have any experience with this unit? Do you think it would likewise work for super beginners to experiment with? #meshtastic

I can tell you for a fact that that map is a rather serious under-representation of the amount of nodes in an area because it's opt-in. For example, in my area, I am the only one who's opted in to be shown, and yet I commonly see ten other nodes, and I was talking with a guy yesterday who saw six nodes in his area, but gets something like 20 normally.

Thanks for the quick feedback, shortwavesurfer! I'd imagined that that would be the case but am still trying to figure out this whole meshtastic thing. My immediate area looks pretty sparse on that official map, but hopefully there are still some other hobbyists and enthusiasts around. On a tangential note, have you messed around with meshcore and any other LoRa protocols and whatnot?

I took a look at mesh core, found out the app was not open source, and immediately ditched it. If it were open source, I would be more interested. I haven't tried other L.O.R.A. protocols such as reticulum though. If you live in a metro area there's a good chance there's going to be other nodes that you will be able to connect with. If you live in a rural area that might be more difficult and you might need to get a solar node and put it up on like a 30-foot flagpole or something just to increase your range a bit. Height is might after all. A 30-foot flagpole is going to get you quite a bit farther than a node in your window and a 250-foot tower is going to get you much farther than a 30-foot node.

Good catch on the Meshcore front. I'll pass on that too. I'd heard the 'Reticulum' name while researching Meshtastic and just started looking into it now that you're bringing it up. It actually looks like a more complete tool than what Meshtastic has to offer, given that it can operate over more than just LoRa, plus it can do more than just text messages. (If you have a chance, I think you'll enjoy reading up on Reticulum too!) I have a feeling that I'll be quickly collecting a lot of different devices to mess around with both of these. As for solar nodes, I'll have to see what I can find for sale in Southeast Asia. Otherwise, shipping from overseas + customs fees could cost quite a lot. Not to mention, that having the postal inspectors going through my packages and forcing me to declare my purchases would be a quick way to destroy my privacy.

Yeah, I haven't done much research yet on reticulum, primarily just because it seems more complicated. And it's not something I've wanted to seriously look into yet. I also don't want to have to give up my meshtastic device for any time while working on reticulum, so I think I'll need to get a secondary device to do it with.