PyMC Repeater MQTT Setup

These instructions cover adding the MeshMapper MQTT broker to an existing pyMC-Repeater installation. If you haven't set up pyMC-Repeater yet, refer to the pyMC documentation first.

Thanks to mrzarquon for providing the information for this guide.

Prerequisites

• A Raspberry Pi running pyMC-Repeater with LetsMesh already configured and working

Adding the MeshMapper Broker

1. Stop the Service

sudo systemctl stop pymc-repeater

2. Edit the Configuration

Open the pyMC-Repeater config file:

sudo nano /etc/pymc_repeater/config.yaml

Add mqtt.meshmapper.cc to the additional_brokers field under the letsmesh section:

letsmesh:
  enabled: true
  iata_code: YOW  # Replace with your region's IATA code
  broker_index: 0
  additional_brokers:
  - name: mqtt.meshmapper.cc
    host: mqtt.meshmapper.cc
    port: 443
    audience: mqtt.meshmapper.cc
  status_interval: 300

If you don't want to send logs to LetsMesh and only want to use MeshMapper, set broker_index to -2:

letsmesh:
  enabled: true
  iata_code: YOW  # Replace with your region's IATA code
  broker_index: -2
  additional_brokers:
  - name: mqtt.meshmapper.cc
    host: mqtt.meshmapper.cc
    port: 443
    audience: mqtt.meshmapper.cc
  status_interval: 300

Save and exit (Ctrl+X, then Y, then Enter).

3. Start the Service

sudo systemctl start pymc-repeater

4. Verify the Connection (Optional)

Follow the logs to confirm the broker connection is working:

sudo journalctl -u pymc-repeater.service -f | grep LetsMeshHandler

Verifying Your Observer

Once your observer is running and connected, it will appear in your region's Admin Portal under the Observers tab once packets have been received (repeater or companion adverts, or wardriving pings). You should see a checkmark under the broker(s) your observer is connected to.