A professional-grade RF propagation and link analysis tool designed for LoRa Mesh networks (Meshtastic, Reticulum, Sidewinder). Built with React, Leaflet, and a high-fidelity Geodetic Physics Engine.
meshRF is designed for mission-critical availability. It operates with zero external API dependencies for elevation data, serving high-resolution terrain data directly from self-hosted containers. Currently we do rely on exteranl API's for map tiles but that will be updated soon as well for full offline use. (optional)
- Geodetic Physics: Calculates Earth Bulge and effective terrain height based on link distance and configurable K-Factor.
- Empirical Modeling: Includes Okumura-Hata for realistic urban/suburban path loss (150-1500MHz).
- Asymmetric Links: Configure unique hardware (power, gain, height) for Node A and Node B independently.
- Dynamic Fresnel visualization: Real-time 2D profiles showing LOS and Fresnel zone clearance.
- Parallel Location Optimization: Rapidly scan bounding boxes for optimal node placement using high-concurrency grid searches.
- RF Coverage Simulator (In Test): Optimized Wasm-powered ITM propagation modeling for wide-area coverage visualization.
- Viewshed Analysis: Desktop-grade viewshed calculations with "Shadow Mode" visualization (Green/Purple) for precise LOS checking.
- Geolocation: "Locate Me" feature for instant map orientation during field surveys.
- Bulk Link Matrix: Import CSVs (
Name, Lat, Lon) to instantly compute link budgets for entire networks. - Automated Reporting: Export detailed CSV reports containing RSSI, Signal Margin, and Clearance values.
- Context-Aware Guidance: Every tool features built-in, interactive help banners that update based on your current mode, guiding you through workflows step-by-step.
Detailed guides for specific tools:
- 📖 viewshed.md - Optical LOS analysis.
- 📖 rf-simulator.md - Coverage heatmap simulation.
- 📖 interactions.md - Tool workflows and "Locate Me".
- 📖 batch-processing.md - Bulk link analysis.
- 📖 hardware-settings.md - Node configuration.
- 📖 pwa-guide.md - Install on Desktop & Mobile.
meshRF is fully installable on Desktop (Chrome/Edge) and Mobile (iOS/Android).
- Offline Shell: Loads instantly even without a network connection.
- Native Experience: Runs in a standalone window without browser chrome.
- Dark Mode: Optimized startup with no white flashes.
meshRF supports multiple propagation models to suit different environments:
| Model | Best For | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Free Space (FSPL) | Ideal LOS, Orbit | Baseline physics, no terrain or environment effects. |
| Okumura-Hata | Flat/Suburban | Empirical model for urban/suburban. Assumes flat terrain. |
| ITM (Longley-Rice) | Irregular Terrain | Recommended. High-fidelity terrain-aware modeling. |
Tip
Use ITM for most terrestrial link analyses to account for hills and varying terrain heights. Use Okumura-Hata for quick city-wide surveys where buildings dominate over terrain.
meshRF is fully containerized and easy to deploy:
-
Clone and Run:
git clone https://github.com/d3mocide/meshrf.git cd meshrf docker compose up -d -
Access the App:
- Frontend:
http://localhost(Port 80) - RF Engine API:
http://localhost:5001/docs(Swagger UI)
- Frontend:
-
Elevation Data: By default, meshRF uses a local OpenTopoData instance. You must download elevation files (HGT/TIF) to the
./data/opentopodatadirectory. 👉 See Setup Guide for data download instructions.
You can customize the application behavior by setting environment variables in docker-compose.yml:
| Variable | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
DEFAULT_MAP_STYLE |
Initial map theme (options: dark, light, dark_matter, dark_green, topo, satellite) |
dark_green |
DEFAULT_UNITS |
Measurement system (imperial or metric) |
imperial |
VITE_MAP_LAT |
Initial map center latitude | 45.5152 |
VITE_MAP_LNG |
Initial map center longitude | -122.6784 |
- Frontend: React + Leaflet + Vite. Heavy RF math handled via C++/Wasm for near-native performance.
- RF Engine: FastAPI Python service. Features connection pooling and parallelized tile fetching for near-instant elevation profiles.
- OpenTopoData: Self-hosted elevation API providing geodetic data without external requests or rate limits.
- Redis: High-speed caching layer for terrain and analysis results.
MIT License. Free to use and modify.
This tool is a simulation. Real-world RF propagation is affected by complex factors (interference, buildings, weather) not fully modeled here. Always verify with field testing.
AI Disclosure: Segments of this codebase were developed with the assistance of advanced AI coding agents. While all code has been reviewed and tested, users should exercise standard due diligence when deploying in critical environments.