A record 77 attendees joined in on the OARC Monthly Meeting on March 11, which was held entirely online because of a freezing rain storm. This is a very large number of attendees and we attribute that to the subject matter: Chris Schnobb’s fantastic and very informative presentation: “MeshCore, LoRa, Mesh Networking, and Building a Connected Ottawa and Beyond”.

Here is a link to the full meeting recording: OARC Monthly Meeting-20260311 Recording.mp4

In lieu of a meeting report, here is a reprint of Chris bio and the abstract for his presentation.

BIO: Chris is an IT Security Consultant with years of technical and IT experience.

In early 2025, he began his journey into radio frequency (RF) during a work engagement, which led him to discover LoRa, a long-range radio protocol, as an accessible entry point into the RF space. What started as curiosity quickly became a passion. Chris dove headfirst into LoRa and mesh networking, becoming one of the leading forces behind Ottawa’s city-wide MeshCore deployment. He is the author of Ottawamesh.ca and a core developer of MeshMapper, an application built for wardriving and mapping MeshCore networks. You may have seen him on Discord or the mesh under his tag MrAlders0n.

ABSTRACT: MeshCore, LoRa, Mesh Networking, and Building a Connected Ottawa and Beyond

This presentation will begin with an introduction to LoRa technology and what makes it such a versatile and accessible platform for radio experimentation, followed by a look at the value of mesh networks, including the pros, cons, and design considerations for both urban and rural deployments. The presentation will also explore the potential of LoRa mesh networks as emergency communication systems for communities, as the radios are accessible and anyone can use them.

The focus will be primarily on MeshCore, while touching on Meshtastic and some of the reasons it struggled to gain traction compared to MeshCore’s success in Ottawa and other communities. Chris will cover the motivation behind the move to MeshCore, the protocol itself, and the ongoing development efforts that have kept it evolving rapidly.

The presentation will highlight tools that have emerged around MeshCore, including MeshMapper and LetsMesh, along with practical hardware recommendations and success stories from local deployments. Attendees will see a showcase of repeaters deployed across Ottawa and learn about some of the coolest things the community has accomplished with LoRa.

Chris will also make the case for LoRa and mesh networking as a gateway for younger newcomers to get into RF and eventually pursue their amateur radio licence, and will touch on some early collaboration with students at Carleton University, including the ambitious goal of linking Ottawa to Montreal and Quebec City by the end of this summer.

The presentation will wrap up with an overview of the Ottawa mesh community, plans for expansion, and where to get involved, from Ottawamesh.ca to Discord and beyond.

A follow-on workshop is also being planned where members can learn about and purchase a recommended configuration for either a repeater node, a companion node, or both, so they can start experimenting and become part of the Ottawa mesh. Stay tuned for more details. This may include a handout with references as well.

Last Updated on 2026-03-27 by Joannadanna