A community hub for
LoRa mesh radio
builders & suppliers.

LoRa (Long Range) is a low-power wireless radio technology designed to send small packets of data over long distances — often several kilometers — using very little battery power.

Unlike Wi-Fi or cellular, LoRa operates on unlicensed radio spectrum (915 MHz in North America, 868 MHz in Europe). It doesn't need a cell tower or internet connection. Nodes communicate directly with each other.

The tradeoff: LoRa is slow by design. It's built for small messages — sensor readings, GPS coordinates, short texts. Not video or voice. That constraint is also what makes it so resilient and long-range.

A mesh network has no central server. Every node is both a receiver and a repeater. When you send a message, nearby nodes pick it up and forward it along — hopping from node to node until it reaches its destination.

This makes mesh networks incredibly resilient. There's no single point of failure. Take out one node and traffic routes around it automatically. The more nodes in the mesh, the stronger and farther-reaching the network becomes.

Meshtastic is the open-source firmware that turns commodity LoRa hardware into a full mesh radio network — with GPS tracking, encrypted messaging, and no monthly fees.

Building a LoRa mesh node requires hardware: a radio module, a battery, an antenna, a case. Sourcing these individually from overseas suppliers takes weeks. Prices vary wildly. Quality is unpredictable.

LoRa Part Swap connects local builders with local suppliers. Community members who stock parts can list them here. Builders can browse, request, and pick up locally — faster, cheaper, and with someone to actually ask questions.