Radio¶

FREQUENCY · BANDWIDTH · SF · CR · TRANSMIT POWER

The node's radio parameters: frequency, bandwidth, spreading factor and coding rate, the chip's transmit power and the receive gain. Changes to the radio parameters take effect only after a restart; tempradio tries them out temporarily.

Note

Source. This page was verified against the firmware itself: MeshCore v1.17.1, commit d929643, 14 August 2026 — files src/helpers/CommonCLI.cpp, platformio.ini, examples/simple_repeater/MyMesh.cpp, examples/simple_room_server/MyMesh.cpp, examples/simple_sensor/SensorMesh.cpp, src/helpers/TxtDataHelpers.cpp, and the official docs/cli_commands.md. Line numbers refer to this commit and can be reproduced with tools/cli-commands.py.

Overview¶

The markers in the Role column are explained in the CLI reference. An empty cell means: works on repeater, room server and sensor.

Command	Role	Default	Serial only	Source
`get radio` / `set radio <freq>,<bw>,<sf>,<cr>`		`869.618,62.5,8,5`		`CommonCLI.cpp` r.588, r.859
`get tx` / `set tx <dbm>`		per board, fallback 20		`CommonCLI.cpp` r.708, r.898
`tempradio <freq>,<bw>,<sf>,<cr>,<timeout_mins>`		—		`CommonCLI.cpp` r.241
`get freq` / `set freq <frequency>`		`869.618`	`set` only	`CommonCLI.cpp` r.713, r.900
`get radio.rxgain` / `set radio.rxgain <on\\|off>`	`effect: repeater, room server`	R/RS `on` ¹ · S `off`		`CommonCLI.cpp` r.535, r.845
`get cad` / `set cad <on\\|off>`		`off`		`CommonCLI.cpp` r.470, r.818
`get radio.fem.rxgain` / `set radio.fem.rxgain <on\\|off>`	board with a controllable FEM	`on`		`CommonCLI.cpp` r.544, r.847
`get radio.fem.txgain` / `set radio.fem.txgain <on\\|off>`	board with a controllable FEM	`off`		`CommonCLI.cpp` r.566, r.853
`get extra.sf` / `set extra.sf <sf>[,<sf>…]`	`build flag` (`set`)	—		`CommonCLI.cpp` r.780, r.976

The default 869.618,62.5,8,5 comes from platformio.ini r.29–31 (frequency, bandwidth, SF) and the fallback LORA_CR 5; no variant overrides them. The official documentation states 869.525,250,11,5. An unmodified build is therefore on SF8, while the Dutch network uses SF7.

Commands¶

radio¶

Frequency in MHz (150–2500), bandwidth in kHz (7–500), SF (5–12) and CR (5–8). Outside those limits the reply is Error, invalid radio params. get radio shows the frequency with the firmware's float formatting, hence 869.6179809 (TxtDataHelpers.cpp r.52–130).

Example:

get radio
  -> > 869.6179809,62.5,8,5
set radio 869.618,62.5,7,5
  -> OK - reboot to apply

Netherlands: set radio 869.618,62.5,7,5, see Getting Started. The network moved to SF7 in May 2026; a node on SF8 does not hear the rest.

tx¶

Transmit power of the LoRa chip in dBm. It takes effect immediately. set tx checks no limits; at the next start the firmware constrains the value to −9…30 (CommonCLI.cpp r.116). An amplifier on the board comes on top of that.

Example:

set tx 20
  -> OK
get tx
  -> > 20

Netherlands: see Regulations & Duty Cycle for the difference between transmit power and radiated power (ERP).

tempradio¶

Sets the radio parameters temporarily, for the given number of minutes. Nothing is saved. The limits are 150–2500 MHz, 7–500 kHz, SF 5–12, CR 5–8 and a time greater than 0; otherwise Error, invalid params. The official documentation states 300–2500 MHz and 7.8–500 kHz.

Example:

tempradio 869.618,62.5,7,5,30
  -> OK - temp params for 30 mins

freq¶

The frequency only. set freq works on the serial console only and takes effect after a restart.

Example:

set freq 869.618
  -> OK - reboot to apply
get freq
  -> > 869.6179809

Netherlands: 869.618 MHz, see Getting Started. That is also the build default.

radio.rxgain¶

Boosted receive gain. Up to v1.16.0 the command existed only in builds with USE_SX1262, USE_SX1268 or USE_LR1110; since v1.17.1 it is always compiled in and a board that cannot do it replies Error: unsupported. Repeater and room server apply the setting, at start-up and directly after set (simple_repeater/MyMesh.cpp r.981, r.1080, simple_room_server/MyMesh.cpp r.727). The sensor does nothing with it. The official documentation states on as the default for all roles.

Example:

set radio.rxgain on
  -> OK
get radio.rxgain
  -> > on

¹ For SX1262/SX1268 builds, unless SX126X_RX_BOOSTED_GAIN says otherwise (simple_repeater/MyMesh.cpp r.927–933, simple_room_server/MyMesh.cpp r.677–683). In LR1110 builds they do not set the value and it is off. Up to v1.16.0 the room server did not set it either; v1.17.1 brings it in line with the repeater.

cad¶

Hardware Channel Activity Detection before transmitting. on enables it, any other value disables it. All three roles set the default to off (simple_repeater/MyMesh.cpp r.909, simple_room_server/MyMesh.cpp r.667, simple_sensor/SensorMesh.cpp r.731). According to the official documentation it runs independently of int.thresh. This is not certified LBT; the duty cycle limit still applies, see Regulations & Duty Cycle.

Example:

set cad on
  -> OK
get cad
  -> > on

radio.fem.rxgain¶

The LNA of an external front-end module (FEM), separate from radio.rxgain. Without a controllable FEM the reply is Error: unsupported; a value other than on/off gives Error: state must be on or off. The default is on for all three roles (for example simple_room_server/MyMesh.cpp r.684).

Example:

set radio.fem.rxgain on
  -> OK - LoRa FEM RX gain on

radio.fem.txgain¶

The same for the FEM transmit gain. The default is off (simple_room_server/MyMesh.cpp r.685). The official documentation gives the Station G3 as an example and warns that the selected level must comply with local limits.

Example:

get radio.fem.txgain
  -> Error: unsupported

extra.sf¶

Not in the official documentation. set exists only in builds with USE_LR2021 and takes up to three extra spreading factors, separated by commas; the reply is OK - extra SFs set or Invalid extra SF config. get shows the list or No extra SF configured.

Example:

get extra.sf
  -> No extra SF configured

Sources¶

Translated from Dutch by Anthropic Claude