Guide — 5 min read — DOSnet Learning Hub

How to Get Better Signal From Your Meshtastic Node

LoRa is impressive technology — but like all radio systems, range and reliability depend heavily on how and where you deploy your nodes. This guide covers the practical steps to maximise your signal in real Australian conditions.

The single biggest factor: height

Radio signals travel in straight lines. Anything between your transmitting node and receiving node — trees, hills, buildings, even the curve of the earth — reduces signal. The higher you mount your node, the more of that obstruction you clear.

A node on a fence post at 1.5 metres behaves very differently to the same node mounted at 5 metres on a star picket or shed roof. In open country, even a 3-metre height advantage can add 2–3 kilometres of effective range. On hilly terrain, a ridge-mounted solar repeater can transform a network that barely spans one kilometre into one that covers an entire valley.

Antenna matters — but less than you think

Upgrading from a 5dBi antenna to an 8dBi antenna adds roughly 20–35% range in open terrain. That's useful but not transformative. Height and line-of-sight will always outperform antenna gain. If you're struggling with range, fix your mounting position before you buy a new antenna.

One rule that does matter: keep your antenna vertical. LoRa nodes communicate best when both antennas are in the same orientation. A node lying on its side loses significant range compared to one standing upright.

Avoid metal near the antenna

Metal reflects and absorbs radio signals. Don't mount your node directly on a metal shed wall, inside a metal enclosure, or surrounded by metal equipment. A plastic weatherproof enclosure on a bracket away from the shed wall is the right approach. If you must deploy near metal, use an extension cable to position the antenna away from the surface.

Terrain strategies for Australian conditions

Flat open country (western Queensland, Nullarbor, Riverina): Node-to-node range can exceed 10km. Simple fence post mounting works well. Space repeaters at 8–10km intervals for maximum network span.

Valley terrain (ranges, hinterland, coastal foothills): Place one solar repeater at the highest accessible point on the ridge. This single node extends coverage from the ridge down both valley sides, effectively multiplying your network coverage area several times over.

Dense bush (coastal QLD, NSW hinterland, Victorian ranges): Plan for 3–4km node-to-node. Use more nodes with shorter hops rather than trying to push individual node range. Dense vegetation absorbs 915MHz significantly.

Spread factor and transmit power settings

Meshtastic has configurable spread factor (SF) and transmit power settings. Higher spread factor means better range but lower data rate. The default settings are a good balance for most Australian deployments. If you're in a particularly challenging environment, increasing spread factor (up to SF12) will extend range at the cost of message speed. DOSnet nodes ship with sensible defaults — you generally don't need to touch these.

Need help planning your deployment? Contact the DOSnet team →

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