ChatterBack listens to the public Meshtastic MQTT broker and decodes what it hears on the default channel. If your node - or one that relays for you - uplinks to MQTT, it appears on your state's map and gets its own page a few hours later.
How the map is built
- Every few hours we sample
mqtt.meshtastic.orgfor US traffic. - Nodes that report a position get placed and assigned to a state. Nodes without a position aren't shown - there's nothing to put on a map.
- Each node page (
/n/…) shows role, hardware, last heard, battery and SNR, plus other nodes within 25 miles.
Getting yours to appear
Your node needs to reach MQTT one of two ways:
- Someone nearby uplinks. If a node in your area is connected to MQTT (typically a home node on Wi-Fi), it relays what it hears from the mesh up to the broker - including your position packets. This is the usual case in a metro.
- You uplink. App → Module configuration → MQTT: enable it, leave the default server, tick Encryption enabled and turn on Uplink for the channel you want to share. Your node needs Wi-Fi (ESP32) or the phone's connection (via the app's proxy setting) to do this.
Give it a sample cycle, then search your node's ID - the !a3f91c2e style hex from the app - on your state's hub.
Claiming a node
Node pages have a claim button for the owner. Claimed nodes show on your profile under Stations, and you get notified when the node goes quiet for more than a day. The claim check (proving you control the node) is being finished - for now it records the request and a maintainer confirms it.
Privacy
Only what you broadcast on the public default channel reaches MQTT, and only at the precision you set. Your regional channel with its own key is not decoded by us or anyone else. If you don't want a node on any public map, turn off position sharing or MQTT uplink for it - the mesh works fine either way.