Connecting Your Radio Device
Before you can use a Radio group, you need to pair your LoRa radio device with Carroted Maps over Bluetooth.
Carroted Maps supports devices running Meshtastic or MeshCore firmware, the pairing steps are identical for both.
What you need
- A LoRa radio device, see compatible hardware below
- Meshtastic or MeshCore firmware flashed on the device
- Bluetooth enabled on your phone
Compatible hardware
Any device running Meshtastic or MeshCore firmware with Bluetooth works. Popular options:
| Device | Notes |
|---|---|
| RAK WisMesh Tag | Compact EDC device, IP66, built-in GPS, 5–6 day battery, ships pre-flashed with Meshtastic |
| Heltec V3 | Budget-friendly, small display |
| LilyGO T-Beam | Built-in GPS and 18650 battery slot |
| RAK WisBlock | Modular, customizable |
New to this? Start with the RAK WisMesh Tag, it ships pre-flashed with Meshtastic and is ready to pair out of the box.
Firmware setup
- Meshtastic, follow the Meshtastic getting started guide to flash and configure your device
- MeshCore, follow the MeshCore setup guide for your device
Web Bluetooth compatibility
On the web/PWA version, Carroted Maps uses the Web Bluetooth API to connect to devices. Web Bluetooth is only supported in:
- Chrome (desktop and Android)
- Edge (desktop)
It is not supported in Firefox or Safari. If you're on web and need to connect a radio device, use Chrome or Edge.
Connect from Carroted Maps
Open any Radio group (or create one first, see Create a Radio Group).
Tap the Bluetooth icon in the map header. The Radio panel opens.
Tap Meshtastic or MeshCore to match the firmware running on your device.
Tap Scan for devices.
Make sure your radio device is powered on and in range.
Your device appears in the list, tap it to connect.
If prompted, confirm the Bluetooth pairing.
Once connected, you'll see the device's node ID and battery level in the controls panel (e.g., "Node A3F2 · 84%").
Channel encryption (optional)
Pairing alone is all you need, every Radio group works out of the box on your device's public channel slot, no configuration required.
If you want private, encrypted traffic, that's a setting on the device itself, not on the group. Open Radio Settings (tap ⋯ in a group's map header, then RADIO) and set a passphrase on one of the 7 private channel slots. See Radio Settings → for the full walkthrough.
This is different from older versions of Carroted Maps, where the channel was tied to the group and stored inside the invite code. It no longer is, an invite code only carries the group's name, subcode, color, and icon. Your device's channel slot is shared across every Radio group you use, switching groups never changes it.
Connection status
The Radio group header shows a badge indicating device status:
| Badge | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 84% (or battery level) | Connected, shows device battery level when available |
| PAIRED | Connected, device does not report battery |
| NOT PAIRED | No device connected |
The Radio panel (tap the Bluetooth icon) uses color indicators while scanning:
- Green, connected
- Orange, scanning
- Gray, idle, not connected
- Red, Bluetooth unavailable or error
Troubleshooting
Device doesn't appear in scan:
- Make sure Bluetooth is on your phone
- Power cycle the radio device
- Grant Carroted Maps Bluetooth and Nearby Devices permissions in your device settings
- Move closer to the device (BLE range is typically 10–30 meters)
Connection drops:
- Keep your phone within ~10 meters of the device for reliable BLE
- Some devices go into deep sleep, check your firmware settings and disable aggressive sleep if needed
Wrong device connecting:
- Multiple devices in range? The list shows all discovered devices, make sure you tap the correct one (device name is set in your firmware config)
Device won't reconnect:
- If a connection drops, Carroted Maps automatically retries up to 3 times (after 2 s, 4 s, and 6 s). If all retries fail, tap Scan for devices again to reconnect manually.
- Tap Forget in the Radio panel to clear the pairing, then scan and connect again
Disconnect
To disconnect from a device:
Tap the Bluetooth icon in the map header.
Tap Disconnect.
You can reconnect at any time. To switch to a different device, use Forget device first, then scan again.
Bluetooth permissions
Carroted Maps requires Bluetooth permissions to communicate with your device. If you previously denied permission:
iOS Settings → Carroted Maps → Enable Bluetooth
Android Settings → Apps → Carroted Maps → Permissions → Enable Nearby devices (or Bluetooth)