About Us

Who We Are

We are not a cellular, phone, or communications company. Nor are we an internet or data provider. We're a bunch of guys and gals who are volunteering our time, talents, and some hardware to help build various "alternative" communications networks.

Cache Valley Mesh is a group of independent people who are working together to Connect Cache Valley over the Mesh™.

We come from various sets of life-experience and technical backgrounds. It is our goal to cooradinate connecting Cache Valley (Utah & Idaho) together in a decentralized, redundant set of communication networks — all thanks to mesh networking technologies like:

We are in the early phases of our organization and our build-outs (which is why you'll notice some links are grayed-out or disabled). We wanted to put them all out there so you'd have an idea of what areas we're going to cover, along with our vision of the best use-case scenarios for each type, and how we see each fitting into a more broad & comprehensive regional communication system.

What We Do

TL/DR: We are working to cover the greater Cache Valley (Utah & Idaho) in a collection of purpose-built, digital, mesh networks. How are we going to do that? Keep reading!

Why Digital/Data?

Digital communication formats can offer many things better than Analog. Analog, on the otherhand, excels in its simplicity and universal understandability. We think not only is there room for both, but by utilizing the strengths of the various mediums, we can better utilize not only our frequencies, but our talent-base as well.

Why Mesh?

Traditional radio (HAM, GMRS, FRS, etc.) is line-of-sight (if the antenna of your radio can't "see" the antenna of the other radio, you probably won't have a good connection). To overcome this, HAM and GMRS utilizes repeaters (radios positioned up high which can "hear" your transmission, then "repeat" it so someone else can "hear" it). This requires that radios be specially configured, and generally means that you must have an FCC licence to utilize them. While there's nothing wrong with that, FCC licences can be a stumbling block for non-technical and younger operators. Additionally, sometimes all you need is a short text message ("Hey Mom, the game is running late, I'm with Johnny & Sally. I'll be home at 11.") - no need to pull out a radio, call the repeater, and wait for "Mom" to answer to get the message.

Sending a simple text message using Meshtastic or MeshCore is quick and simple, doesn't require a HAM Radio license, and has the advantage of messages being encrypted end-to-end.

Encryption equals privacy in this day and age. We don't know about you, but we'd prefer that our children not broadcast their geo-location to world. Meshtastic and MeshCore let you share this information only with dedicated family channels/chat-groups.

Why not just use Cell Phones?

Cell phones are great, but they require paying a montly cellular data plan, and don't operate when the cellular network is down. Meshtastic and MeshCore, on the otherhand, are decentralied, and most infrastructure nodes are solar-powered — so even if the power is out, your comms don't have to be.

What about APRS & WinLink

You'll notice that we are including APRS and WinLink (along with AllStar) in our list of "Mesh Types". We think each are valuable forms of communication and we want to provide resources here to help you get the most out of these Meshes.

First, you have to be a licensed HAM Radio operator to use APRS or WinLink. While we advise everyone to get at least a Technician Class Amateur Radio License, we recognize that not everyone will. And even those who do may not have the skils or equipment to use APRS and WinLink.

We have a very robust HAM Radio club in the valley (BARC). APRS and WinLink are fantastic options, with a few caveats.

We're not trying to step on any toes, so most of the information on these will be heavily linked to resources on BARC's website. We see our organization as a supplement to all the wonderful things they do for the community — not as competition, and certainly not as a replacement.