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 and yellowcooln for providing the information for this guide.

Prerequisites

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

Adding the MeshMapper Broker

Option 1. Add MeshMapper from the UI

This is the easiest way to add MeshMapper to an existing pyMC-Repeater installation.

1. Open Configuration > Observer.
2. Click Edit next to Observer Configuration.

1. Click From Template.
2. Select MeshMapper.

1. Click Save Settings.
2. Open the Terminal option on the left.
3. Enter restart to restart the service.

Option 2. Add MeshMapper manually

If you prefer, you can still add MeshMapper by editing the config file directly.

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.net to the brokers field under the brokers section:

mqtt:
  iata_code: <IATA> # e.g., "SFO", "LHR", "Test"
  status_interval: 300 # How often a status message is sent (in seconds)
  owner: ""
  email: ""
  brokers:
    - name: MeshMapper
      enabled: true
      transport: websockets
      host: mqtt.meshmapper.net
      port: 443
      format: letsmesh
      disallowed_packet_types: []
      retain_status: false
      tls:
        enabled: true
        insecure: false
      use_jwt_auth: true
      audience: mqtt.meshmapper.net

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 MeshMapper

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.