The MeshDeck Is a Clever All-in-One Meshtastic Administration Toolbox — Very Literally
Built by pseudonymous maker "deuteranomalous1," this portable computing kit has a secret hiding under its keyboard.
Pseudonymous maker and mesh networking enthusiast "deuteranomalous1" has put together a handy portable gadget for maintaining a Meshtastic network, complete with built-in administration system and even a hidden toolbox: the MeshDeck.
"What do I use the mesh for? Its just for kicks really," deuteranomalous1 explains. "I like the challenge and art of building solar powered radios and secretly hiding them in public places. Its downright subversive. Nominally I guess I could say 'emergency communications' but its gone so far beyond that. Initially I just wanted a way to send off grid messages to my father in law 6km [3.7 miles] away but once I got that first mountain node up I was doing 100km [62 miles] easily and it just kind of took off from there."
The "solar powered radios" in question are Meshtastic nodes, members of a community-driven mesh network connected via long-range low-power LoRa radio links. Designed around low-cost microcontroller development boards, Meshtastic nodes are low power enough to run from solar power — but, like anything, they're not maintenance-free.
The MeshDeck is designed to provide everything needed for said maintenance. Inside the rugged 3D-printed Pelican-case-inspired clamshell housing is a custom-designed framework holding a low-cost Android tablet, wireless keyboard, and a RAKwireless WisBlock RAK4631 Core and RAK19007 Base with RAK13002 input/output expansion board. In other words: everything you need to connect to Meshtastic and monitor, administer, and deploy nodes on the network.
There's a hidden bonus, though, which accounts for the bulk of the case's size: lift the keyboard and you'll find a hidden toolbox, containing everything from a torch and screwdriver bits to an RTL-SDR.com software-defined radio and high-gain antenna. Magnetic closures hold the keyboard in place, too — and stop the tools falling out when you're moving the thing around.
More details are available in deuteranomalous1's Reddit post.
