Connecting Your Radio Device
Before you can use a Radio group, you need to pair your LoRa radio device with Flaresat over Bluetooth.
Flaresat supports devices running Meshtastic or MeshCore firmware, the pairing steps are identical for both.
What you need
- A LoRa radio device, see compatible hardware below
- Meshtastic or MeshCore firmware flashed on the device
- Bluetooth enabled on your phone
Compatible hardware
Any device running Meshtastic or MeshCore firmware with Bluetooth works. Popular options:
| Device | Notes |
|---|---|
| RAK WisMesh Tag | Compact EDC device, IP66, built-in GPS, 5–6 day battery, ships pre-flashed with Meshtastic |
| Heltec V3 | Budget-friendly, small display |
| LilyGO T-Beam | Built-in GPS and 18650 battery slot |
| RAK WisBlock | Modular, customizable |
New to this? Start with the RAK WisMesh Tag, it ships pre-flashed with Meshtastic and is ready to pair out of the box.
Firmware setup
- Meshtastic, follow the Meshtastic getting started guide to flash and configure your device
- MeshCore, follow the MeshCore setup guide for your device
Web Bluetooth compatibility
On the web/PWA version, Flaresat uses the Web Bluetooth API to connect to devices. Web Bluetooth is only supported in:
- Chrome (desktop and Android)
- Edge (desktop)
It is not supported in Firefox or Safari. If you're on web and need to connect a radio device, use Chrome or Edge.
Connect from Flaresat
- Open any Radio group (or create one first, see Create a Radio Group)
- Tap the radio icon in the map header
- The Device Controls panel opens
- Select your firmware, tap Meshtastic or MeshCore to match the firmware running on your device
- Tap Scan for devices
- Make sure your radio device is powered on and in range
- Your device appears in the list, tap it to connect
- If prompted, confirm the Bluetooth pairing
Once connected, you'll see the device's node ID and battery level in the controls panel (e.g., "Node A3F2 · 84%").
Channel selection
The Device Controls panel lets you select which LoRa channel your group uses. Flaresat supports 8 channels (0–7). The channel is stored in the group's FLT- invite code, joining via code sets it automatically.
Channel behavior differs significantly between Meshtastic and MeshCore.
Meshtastic
Channel 0 is the public default and works without any setup. Channels 1–7 each require a matching PSK (encryption key) configured identically on every device via the Meshtastic app.
If the keys don't match, the packet is dropped entirely, the receiver gets silence. There is no partial receive or fallback. Both devices must have the same PSK on the same channel number to communicate.
To use a private channel:
- Configure the same channel number and PSK on all devices in the Meshtastic app
- Select the matching channel in Flaresat's Device Controls panel
MeshCore
On MeshCore, channel numbers alone do not isolate traffic. Without encryption configured, all devices on the mesh hear transmissions on every channel regardless of which channel number is selected.
Isolation requires a PSK set up in the MeshCore firmware. Without it, the group subcode (embedded in the FLT- invite code) is what Flaresat uses to filter traffic and show only your group's messages.
Asymmetric encryption: if Device A has a PSK configured and Device B does not,
- A sends → B cannot decrypt the packet and won't display it
- B sends → A receives the unencrypted packet and displays it normally
Communication will appear one-directional until both devices share the same encryption config. To confirm whether a channel is encrypted: send from the encrypted device and switch through channels 0–7 on the unencrypted device, if nothing appears on any channel, encryption is active.
Connection status
The Radio group header shows a badge indicating device status:
| Badge | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 84% (or battery level) | Connected, shows device battery level when available |
| PAIRED | Connected, device does not report battery |
| NOT PAIRED | No device connected |
The Device Controls panel (tap the radio icon) uses color indicators while scanning:
- Green, connected
- Orange, scanning
- Gray, idle, not connected
- Red, Bluetooth unavailable or error
Troubleshooting
Device doesn't appear in scan:
- Make sure Bluetooth is on your phone
- Power cycle the radio device
- Grant Flaresat Bluetooth and Nearby Devices permissions in your device settings
- Move closer to the device (BLE range is typically 10–30 meters)
Connection drops:
- Keep your phone within ~10 meters of the device for reliable BLE
- Some devices go into deep sleep, check your firmware settings and disable aggressive sleep if needed
Wrong device connecting:
- Multiple devices in range? The list shows all discovered devices, make sure you tap the correct one (device name is set in your firmware config)
Device won't reconnect:
- If a connection drops, Flaresat automatically retries up to 3 times (after 2 s, 4 s, and 6 s). If all retries fail, tap Scan for devices again to reconnect manually.
- Tap Forget device in the Device Controls panel to clear the pairing, then scan and connect again
Disconnect
To disconnect from a device:
- Open the Device Controls panel
- Tap Disconnect
You can reconnect at any time. To switch to a different device, use Forget device first, then scan again.
Bluetooth permissions
Flaresat requires Bluetooth permissions to communicate with your device. If you previously denied permission:
iOS: Settings → Flaresat → Enable Bluetooth
Android: Settings → Apps → Flaresat → Permissions → Enable Nearby devices (or Bluetooth)