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Start Here: Your First 30 Minutes

New to the Arizona mesh? This is the page to get going. Follow the steps in order, top to bottom (don't skip ahead). By the end you'll have a working node, the right Arizona settings, and proof that the mesh can hear you. Once you're connected and want to fine-tune your node, the deeper settings reference (roles, broadcast intervals, MQTT) lives on Recommended Settings.

What you need before you begin

  • A Meshtastic radio. Don't have one? See Recommended Hardware. You can get on the mesh for about $30.
  • The Meshtastic app on your phone (links in Step 2).
  • About 30 minutes. Most of it is waiting for firmware to flash.
  • Our Discord, which is where the Arizona radio settings live (link in Step 3).

Join the Arizona Meshtastic Discord

Step 1: Flash the latest firmware

  1. Open the Meshtastic Web Flasher in Google Chrome (other browsers often fail to connect to the serial port).
  2. Select your device, click Flash, and follow the prompts.

Leave “Install Meshtastic UI” UNCHECKED on most devices

The web flasher may offer an "Install Meshtastic UI" option. Meshtastic UI (MUI) is a separate on-device interface built for color touchscreen devices like the LilyGO T-Deck and SenseCAP Indicator. It is not meant for the small OLED screens on common boards like the Heltec V3/V4 or RAK handhelds, and installing it there can leave you with a blank screen or a boot loop. Unless you have a touchscreen device and specifically want the on-device UI, leave this unchecked and use the phone app for the interface. If your screen is already stuck or blank, re-flash with it off. See FAQ → Flashing problems.

Never transmit without an antenna attached

Powering on or sending with the antenna disconnected can permanently damage the radio. Always screw the antenna on first.

Back up your keys before re-flashing

Flashing can wipe your settings, including your node's identity keys. Export/back up your configuration from the Meshtastic app first, so you don't reappear as a brand-new node.

Step 2: Install the app and pair over Bluetooth

Platform Link
Android Google Play Store
iOS Apple App Store
  1. Turn on your radio.
  2. Open the app, tap +, and select your device to pair over Bluetooth.
  3. If prompted for a pairing code, the default is usually printed on your device or in its documentation.
  4. You should now see your node in the app.

Step 3: Get the Arizona radio settings from Discord

This is where most new nodes go wrong, and it's why this step points you to Discord.

To join the Arizona mesh you need the community-specific region, preset, and frequency slot. We keep those values in our Discord server so they stay coordinated and current, then you enter them in the app.

In your Meshtastic app, open Settings → LoRa (Radio Configuration) and set these:

Arizona LoRa settings

1. Region: value shared in Discord
2. Preset: value shared in Discord
3. Frequency Slot: value shared in Discord
Arizona radio settings are shared in Discord Join The Discord

The Frequency Slot is the #1 missed setting

Lots of people set the preset correctly but leave the Frequency Slot at 0/auto, so they land on the wrong frequency and can't hear anyone. Set it to the exact slot listed in Discord.

iOS gotcha: the Slot field is text entry. Double-tap the existing value to select it, then type the correct slot. Leave Frequency Override blank or 0; entering a value there locks the Slot field. "Override" and "Slot" are different fields.

Step 4: Set up your primary channel

Open Settings → Channels and configure the primary channel (index 0) using the values from Discord.

Primary channel (index 0)

Name: value shared in Discord
Key (PSK): value shared in Discord
Primary channel name + key are shared in Discord Join The Discord

Do NOT rename your primary channel

Renaming the primary channel to "AZ Mesh", "azmsh", or anything custom puts you on a different channel and you fall off the mesh entirely. Use exactly the name and key listed in Discord.

Want the extra Arizona community channels (azmsh, Weather, Traffic, Trivia)? Those are public and live on the Suggested Channels page. Add them as secondary channels; they don't replace your primary.

Step 5: (Optional) Turn on MQTT for the map

MQTT puts your node on the community map and shares diagnostics. It does not carry your text messages. The full MQTT walkthrough, including the broker details, is on Recommended Settings → MQTT.

Step 6: Self-test (prove the mesh can hear you)

This is the moment of truth.

  1. Go to the Messages tab and open your primary channel.
  2. Send the message: test (send it as many times as you want).
  3. Wait up to a minute, then watch for emoji tapbacks on your message. A tapback is an emoji reaction attached to your message (like a thumbs-up on a text). Many Arizona nodes run an auto-responder that reacts with a number:
    • 1⃣ 2⃣ 3⃣ … = how many hops away that node was when it heard you
    • *⃣ = a direct hit, no hops

You got tapbacks? 🎉 You're on the Arizona mesh. Head to How To Test to claim your node and explore the map.

No tapbacks after a few tries? That's almost always physical placement, not a settings bug. Keep reading.

If you can RECEIVE any messages, your settings are correct

Seeing other people's messages come in means your radio, preset, slot, and channel are all right. If you can hear them but they can't hear you, it's an RF/placement problem, not a configuration problem. Go to FAQ → I can receive, but I can't send.

Where to go next