OpenMeshTak

ATAK with Meshtastic ​

Meshtastic radios form a LoRa mesh that needs neither mobile network nor internet. The Meshtastic app can carry TAK traffic over that mesh, so ATAK and iTAK keep exchanging positions where there is no network. OpenMeshTak prepares both sides for every participant of an event: the radio settings and the TAK connection.

How it fits together ​

ATAK or iTAKtalks to the Meshtastic app on the same phone
Meshtastic appsends TAK on the event's TAK mesh channel
Radio meshLoRa, hop by hop between the participants' radios
Other TAK appsreceive the positions through their own radio

Whenever there is network, the TAK apps also use the OpenMeshTak TAK server, which delivers the event's map data.

What OpenMeshTak prepares ​

  • One radio settings file per participant with the radio's name, the event's LoRa settings and exactly the channels that participant may use, including secret channels. See Meshtastic.
  • The TAK mesh channel each participant sets in the Meshtastic app, shown on their dashboard.
  • The TAK connection to the OpenMeshTak TAK server, with callsign, team color and role from the event. See TAK apps.
  • Map data as Data Packages for the TAK apps. See Map data.

Nobody types channel keys or LoRa settings by hand, so all radios of an event match.

Setting it up ​

  1. Turn on Use Meshtastic radios for the event, see Set up an event.
  2. Choose the radio settings, channels and who receives which channel, see Meshtastic.
  3. Participants import their settings file into the Meshtastic app, see Participant setup.
  4. Participants connect ATAK or iTAK over Meshtastic, see TAK apps over Meshtastic.

At the HQ ​

Without internet, the HQ can still follow the radio positions on the event map in the browser, with a Meshtastic radio on USB. See Offline HQ.