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News

OpenSauce 2024 Retrospective

The Meshtastic Booth

OpenSauce 2024 was amazing! And, oh boy, was it exhausting. It took our team a little time to recover before we had the energy to write up this recap of the incredible event and the awesome community interest in Meshtastic.

What is OpenSauce? Well, if names like Mark Rober, Colin Furze, The Hacksmith, and Wren from Corridor Digital ring a bell, then you might already get the vibe. It’s a gathering of makers, artists, hackers, DIY’ers, and creatives in general. Think of it like the old-school Maker Faire, but with a YouTube twist. This year’s two-day event took place on June 15th and 16th at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, boasting nearly 500 exhibitors and over 20,000 attendees.

Josef Prusa admiring the collection of 3D-printed Meshtastic cases

Thanks to the hard work of our amazing community, Meshtastic had a booth at OpenSauce, right near the second stage. The booth team, consisting of McHamster, RCGV_, and ShakataGaNai, spent the two days chatting with fans, interested folks, and total newbies looking to learn more. We discussed tons of interesting use cases and potentially brought thousands of new users into the mesh network. It was also a blast “putting names to faces” for existing community members and meeting people who have used Meshtastic in unique and personal ways. We even had some “big names” stop by, including Josef Prusa of Prusa 3D Printers and Jeff Geerling, the Open Source/Raspberry Pi guru.

A fun experiment we conducted onsite involved getting as many active users as possible on a special Fast/Medium configured mesh, including several demo devices. It worked surprisingly well, demonstrating the power of the mesh even in the steel-and-concrete confines of the Cow Palace. We also had devices like T-Decks and a “Cyberdeck” available for anyone to type their own messages as a demo, giving them a first taste of mesh-powered communications.

Overall, OpenSauce 2024 was a huge success for spreading the word about Meshtastic. We hope to repeat this experience at more events in the near future. If you have suggestions for where Meshtastic should appear (anywhere in the world), hop onto the official Meshtastic Discord in the #events channel and drop a note.

Finally, A few more pictures from the event along with an amazing youtube short overview.



The Meshtastic Bay Area Team

Meshtastic on Balloon (Update - Splashed down)

Update: Last data recieved at 12:47 and the balloon was falling. The balloon is assumed to have gone into the bay.

We’ve got Meshtastic on Ballon. Tune in to voice on discord live (as of 11am).

Ham

  • Cross band repeater
    • Input Frequency: 445.525 MHz
    • PL Frequency : -162.2 MHz
    • Output Frequency: 145.25 MHz

Introducing the New Meshtastic Bay Area Website

We are excited to announce the launch of our brand-new Meshtastic Bay Area website! This project has been a labor of love, designed to bring our community closer together and provide a centralized hub for all things related to Meshtastic in the San Francisco Bay Area. Here’s a rundown of what you can expect from our new site:

Key Features:

  • User-Friendly Design: Our website features a clean, intuitive layout, making it easy to navigate and find the information you need.
  • Comprehensive Documentation: Explore our detailed guides and resources, including getting started with Meshtastic, recommended hardware, and tips for effective mesh communication.
  • Active Community Engagement: Stay updated with the latest news and events, join our weekly net meetings, and participate in our community discussions.
  • Feedback and Contributions: We value your input! The website is an open project, and we encourage contributions from everyone. You can provide feedback or suggest improvements via pull requests or issues on our GitHub repository.

How to Get Involved:

  • Join Our Discord: Connect with fellow enthusiasts in real-time by joining our Discord server. We have dedicated channels for different topics and a welcoming community ready to help.
  • Contribute to the Website: Whether you’re a developer, writer, or just passionate about mesh networks, your contributions are welcome. Visit our GitHub repository to get started.
  • Share Your Thoughts: Have ideas for new features or improvements? Leave your comments in our dedicated Discord thread.

Our goal is to create a dynamic, community-driven platform that supports learning, innovation, and collaboration. We believe that with your help, we can make the Meshtastic Bay Area community even stronger and more vibrant.

Thank you for being a part of this journey. We look forward to your feedback and contributions!

Visit Our New Website: bayme.sh

Warm regards,
The Meshtastic Bay Area Team

Join us at OpenSauce 2024

We are thrilled to invite you to OpenSauce 2024, the world’s biggest gathering of makers, creators, and technology innovators, happening from June 14-16 at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. This exciting event will feature over 500 creators and makers showcasing their cutting-edge tech, wild experiments, and interactive exhibits. OpenSauce is a must-attend for anyone who loves to see the boundaries of creativity and innovation pushed to the limit.

This year marks the first official showing of Meshtastic at a conference or event, and we couldn’t be more excited! Make sure to stop by the Meshtastic booth to meet our team, see live demonstrations, and learn more about our community and technology. We owe a big thank you to Meshtastic LLC for their generous sponsorship, which made our participation possible. If you’d like to support Meshtastic, please consider making a donation through OpenCollective.

What is OpenSauce?

OpenSauce is a massive exhibition that brings together the brightest minds in the maker community. From a jet engine-powered go-kart to a robot that can solve a Rubik’s cube faster than humanly possible, the event promises a weekend filled with mind-blowing displays and interactive experiences. With panels, workshops, and meet-and-greets featuring top creators like Adam Savage, Mark Rober, and Veritasium, OpenSauce is designed to inspire and educate visitors of all ages.

Why You Should Attend:

  • Incredible Exhibits: Witness a U-Haul truck converted into a massive camera, a robot that automatically fries chicken, giant musical Tesla coils, and more.
  • Meet Top Creators: Engage with influential creators and innovators through live panels and presentations.
  • Hands-On Workshops: Participate in workshops and discussions covering AI, emerging technologies, and the creator economy.
  • Community Celebration: Celebrate the spirit of innovation and creativity with thousands of like-minded enthusiasts.

Don’t miss this chance to be part of a groundbreaking event that celebrates the maker spirit. We look forward to seeing you at OpenSauce 2024 and at the Meshtastic booth!

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit opensauce.com.

Warm regards,
The Meshtastic Bay Area Team