Beyond prepping: Why hundreds of Western PA residents are joining a low-cost mesh radio network

Southwestern Pennsylvania’s WPAMesh is turning emergency communication into something unexpected: a community activity that’s as fun as it is practical.

From Erie to West Virginia, members are purchasing hardware and joining the mesh radio network to prepare for a natural disaster or cell tower crisis. Between crises, though, a vibrant community has formed.

“It’s one of the cheapest things you can do to make sure that you can still communicate with one another in an emergency. So, absolutely, that’s a driving factor of why we do this,” said Bradyn Claycomb, an engineer from Greensburg and one of WPAMesh’s leaders. “In the meantime, whenever there’s not an emergency, it’s fun.”

The mesh radio network uses a series of long-range devices with a low frequency that doesn’t require a license to use, which operate as nodes. SMS-type messages get repeatedly transferred from node to node, allowing theoretically anyone on the network to receive a message, depending on the number of hops.

“This is a tool that anybody can use. It doesn’t matter what your version of, ‘shit’s going to go down’ is,” said community organizer and mesh leader Seth Bush. 

Bush first became invested into the mesh network when Tropical Storm Helene hit Asheville, North Carolina, in 2024. He was moved by how people were using mesh networks to communicate their needs when cell services went down, allowing them to get the resources they needed from their community. 

After doing some research on the mesh and getting donated hardware, Bush sent his first message, not expecting much. Instead, he recieved a message back. He eventually got a link to the Discord that Bradyn posted on a Reddit thread and became a new community member. 

WPAMesh has amassed over 900 nodes in the network, with roughly 475 active on the day Claycomb spoke with Technical.ly — a high number that surprised Claycomb. Around 650 members are in its Discord channel and Facebook has amassed roughly 450 as of early August, though active numbers can vary by day and season. 

Community building with a pseudonym

The Western PA constituency is spread from Pittsburgh to surrounding states, making it difficult for many members to meet up and moving most of Bush’s community-building efforts online. 

The community operates in Discord, which uses display names instead of real names to create a shield of anonymity. 

Despite being the community-building side of the leadership team — though the WPAMesh doesn’t have a formalized executive board — Bush said he hasn’t had to do a lot of community management or coordination. 

Discord members already bond over a shared love of radio and learning with one another, alongside a willingness to help each other out. 

“People are people and we have a common interest,” Bush said. “I don’t actually need to know a lot of other stuff about them as long as it seems that we’re all continuing to function in a way that is about, frankly, caring for one another and being interested in [and supporting] one another.”

Adapting, one hill at a time

Western PA stands out against other mesh networks because of its hills, according to Claycomb and Bush.

Pittsburgh’s topography makes it difficult to participate in mesh as the nodes hop by line of sight, adding extra challenges for anyone trying to join the network based on where they live. 

Lucky for the group, another thing that sets them apart is their adaptability. 

Members find high places to place infrastructure. The organization allows both MeshCore and Meshtastic — the two types of dominant hardware in mesh radio that some communities pick between — making it easier for members to navigate through the geography and custom their experience or their needs. 

There are forums for each approach, where members mentor one another and share advice on how best to adapt to their geographical challenges. 

“I’ve learned a ton of things from the people that are in the Discord, and even questioned some of my own facts that I considered facts at the time,” Claycomb said.

WPAMesh doesn’t have any concrete goals for growth or missions to expand their organization. Their main issue right now is making sure members update their mesh hardware to stay prepared for when a critical point comes. 

Until then, it’s a hobby for members and a way to find new connections.

“What’s awesome about this community and what’s so fun about this tool is like,” Bush said, “most of the time we’re talking about pretty light, fun things.”