Kick-Off Meeting Recap

🧭 Organizational Planning & Feedback

After introductions, Sam presented a draft and request for comments outlining an aspirational structure for a mature Capital Region Mesh organization. The group offered thoughtful feedback, with a strong focus on how to onboard newcomers quickly and effectively.

One popular idea was the creation of ready-made kits — preconfigured hardware bundles that simplify setup and participation. This dovetailed nicely with one of the key lessons from No Kings, which emphasized outreach through specific use cases rather than abstract ideals. These are now a high priority item for the group going forward.

Participants also suggested establishing weekly nets to foster regular engagement, with some proposing a gamified format inspired by ham radio contesting or the streak mechanics seen in mobile apps like Duolingo.

🔧 Hardware Showcase — RPT Series Node Enclosure

After the Q&A, Bill shared his latest custom enclosure design for the RPT nodes — several of which are currently active as key components of New Hampshire’s statewide Meshtastic network. The group gathered around the table to examine the build and discuss its evolution.

📦 Bill of Materials

• Node: Station G2
• Antenna: 55 cm 8 dBi fiberglass omni-directional, with N-Type connector
• Enclosure: Vented, weatherproof PVC enclosure with metal door latches
• Add-ons:
  • GPS module
  • Temperature, Barometric Pressure, and Humidity sensor
  • INA29 Bi-directional DC Current/Power monitor
  • Bandguard Meshtastic notch filter @ 906.875 MHz

🙏 Looking Ahead

Thanks to everyone who joined us for the Kick-Off — your feedback, questions, and hardware contributions set a strong foundation for what’s next. If you couldn’t make it, we hope to see you at the December 3rd meetup, where we’ll focus on regional configuration and winter deployment strategy. Full details are available on the event page. If you can’t make it, there are plenty of other ways to contribute. Let’s keep up the momentum!