The badge has a LoRa SX1262 radio and speaks the MeshCore mesh protocol. Other badges, MeshCore phones and standalone repeaters all appear as peers. Four carousel screens are mesh-related: PMs, Channel, Adverts and My QR, backed by the Contacts list.
Getting on the same network
Three things must match across every badge in the local mesh:
- LoRa preset — frequency, bandwidth and spreading factor. The default is BornHack 2026 (baked into the firmware). Change it under Main → Settings → LoRa Radio.
- Public channel key — shared automatically via the preset.
- Antenna — make sure the LoRa antenna is connected.
If you can’t see anyone else’s adverts after a minute, check the preset first.
Adverts
Every badge, phone or repeater on the mesh periodically broadcasts an advert — its public name, identity hash and capabilities. Your badge logs these on the Adverts screen as they arrive.
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Up / Down | Scroll the advert list |
| Execute / Fire | Save the highlighted advert as a contact |
| Cancel | Back |
| Left / Right | Next carousel screen |
Private messages (PMs)
The PMs screen is your private inbox — each row is a peer who has messaged you.
| Marker | Meaning |
|---|---|
● | Heard from less than 5 minutes ago |
* | Favourite |
+ | Discovered, not saved as a contact yet |
R | Repeater |
# | Room / channel server |
S | Sensor |
Use Up / Down to scroll, Execute / Fire to open a thread or start a reply, and Cancel to go back. Replies use the on-screen keyboard (joystick to pick a character, Execute to commit, Cancel to backspace) with about 70 emoji available.
RAM-only
The inbox holds up to 32 messages across 16 peers in RAM. Saved contacts and their threads persist across reboots; messages from unsaved peers vanish when the badge restarts. Save anyone you want to keep.Channels (group chat)
The Channel screen is group / room chat — the same protocol with a broadcast scope. Each row is a channel (for example the default Public channel that ships with the preset). Controls match the PMs screen; everyone on the same preset hears every message in a public channel.
My QR
The My QR screen renders your mesh identity as a QR code. Show it to someone else’s MeshCore phone or badge for instant pairing — no need to wait for an advert to be heard first.
Contacts
The Contacts list (Main → Bornagotchi → Contacts, or jump there from the Adverts screen) shows everyone the badge has heard or knows: nearby strangers, saved friends, repeaters and rooms.
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Up / Down | Scroll |
| Up on the top row | Open the filter (All / Favorites / People / Repeaters / Rooms / Sensors) |
| Execute / Fire | Popup: PM · Info · Add · Save / Unsave · Forget |
| Cancel | Back |
Popup actions:
- PM — open the message thread.
- Info — hex identity prefix, last-heard time, advert capabilities.
- Add / Save — persist the contact in flash so it survives a reboot.
- Unsave — drop it from flash (stays in the discovery cache until reboot).
- Forget — remove it immediately, even from the discovery cache.
Save what you want to keep
The discovery cache holds up to 32 unsaved peers in RAM and is empty after every reboot until adverts arrive again. Anything you have not Saved — including its message history — is gone on restart. When discovery is full, the oldest unsaved entry is evicted for a new advert.Pinging & visibility
When another badge pings you with the mesh blinkme command your LED briefly flashes in the requested colour — a fun way to find friends in a crowd. Your badge also sends its own adverts so others can see you.
Battery note
The LoRa radio is the single largest battery drain. To save power, Main → Settings → MeshCore lets you mute notification sounds. (The e-paper display itself draws no power once an image is shown.)
Using your phone instead
Prefer to chat from your phone? Install MeshCore on Android / iOS or open https://app.meshcore.nz/, then pair over Bluetooth — see Getting started. Once bonded, contacts, chat and settings are all reachable from the app.