Ouachita Link

A practical how-to

Your Ouachita Link Mailbox guide.

A Mailbox lets you leave a private note for a neighbor who may be away from the radio network. Use this guide to set up an address, send and retrieve messages, choose whether to appear in the Directory, and protect your recovery code.

Before you begin

You need one compatible MeshCore companion radio, the official MeshCore app, and the Ouachita Link radio settings. See Get started for device setup. Internet is not needed for radio Mailbox messages; the optional website Directory needs internet to update.

How Mailbox works

Ordinary MeshCore direct messages are sent to another radio contact. That works well when the other person is available. Mailbox adds a place for an individually addressed note to wait until its recipient comes back and asks for it.

A Room is a shared place for group posts and conversation. Mailbox is for a note addressed to one person's Mailbox username. They serve different purposes and can complement each other.

The Mailbox service receives and handles the note, then sends it to the recipient's companion when they retrieve it. Delivery depends on radio coverage and network conditions; it is not guaranteed or intended for emergencies.

Find the Mailbox contact

In the official MeshCore app, look in your contacts or node list for Ouachita Link Mailbox. Depending on your app version, it may appear with a repeater label. If the app does not offer a way to message it, ask the Ouachita Link community for help rather than changing your radio settings.

Once an ordinary direct-message conversation with Mailbox is available, type the commands below as plain text. Do not add a special prefix.

Create and manage your account

Your first valid authenticated Mailbox command creates your account automatically. Choose an address by sending:

name sue123

Use 3–20 letters and numbers, with no spaces. Usernames are not case-sensitive and each must be unique. Words used by Mailbox commands are reserved. Your first username response includes a recovery code and asks whether you want to be listed in the Directory. Save the recovery code before continuing.

To change your address later, send name newname. Mail already waiting for you remains with your account. A recently changed address may be held for your account for 30 days before another person can use it.

To choose the short name shown with messages you send, use display Sue. This is a display label; it does not control access to your account.

Send, check, and retrieve

Send one message

Send the recipient's Mailbox username, one space, and your message:

bobdavis Hello Bob! Are you coming tomorrow?

Use the exact username. A message must fit in one ordinary MeshCore text message, so send another separate message if you have more to say. Mailbox rejects an oversized message instead of shortening it.

Check for waiting messages

Send check. Mailbox replies with the number of messages waiting.

Retrieve messages

Send get. Mailbox schedules all currently waiting messages for your companion. Keep the radio on and connected while they arrive. A longer queue may take time because radio airtime is shared.

Once the recipient's radio receives a message, it leaves their waiting messages. This does not tell you whether they have read it. If a message does not arrive, it remains available to retrieve again until it expires.

Optional Directory

The public Directory helps neighbors find a Mailbox username. Joining is optional; it is not needed to send or receive mail.

  1. Send directory join.
  2. Reply yes to continue or no to stay unlisted.
  3. Send first YourFirstName.
  4. Send last YourLastName.
  5. Review the proposed listing and send confirm to publish it, or cancel to stop.

Send directory to check your listing. Send directory name to update it, then follow the FIRST, LAST, and CONFIRM steps. Send directory leave to remove your listing from the Directory. Others may still have copies they saved earlier.

Recovery code and replacing a radio

Your recovery code can transfer your Mailbox account to a replacement radio. Keep it private and somewhere separate from your radio. Anyone who obtains the code may be able to take over the account.

If you still have access to your account, send recovery to generate a replacement code. The old code stops working. The first name command also issues a code for a new account.

Before recovery, the replacement radio may need to advertise its MeshCore identity so Mailbox can recognize the new radio. Use the app's Advert or Advertise control on the replacement device first.

Then, from the new, authenticated MeshCore identity, send recover sue123 YOUR-CODE-HERE. A successful recovery moves the existing account, username, settings, and waiting messages to the new identity, then provides a new recovery code. The previous radio identity loses access.

If you lose both the original radio and its recovery code, there is no automatic account recovery. Do not send a real recovery code to anyone for troubleshooting.

Storage, privacy, and common questions

  • Retention: undelivered messages are kept for up to 30 days from acceptance.
  • Capacity: a mailbox can hold up to 15 waiting messages. When full, new messages are rejected until space is available.
  • Internet: radio Mailbox messages do not require public internet. The optional website Directory does.
  • Privacy: messages are stored encrypted while waiting for delivery. The Mailbox service handles message content; this is different from a direct message sent straight to another MeshCore user.
  • Availability: coverage, delivery, and website updates are not guaranteed. Mailbox is a community communication service, not an emergency service.

Why can I not message the Mailbox contact? Depending on your app version, it may appear as a repeater in the node list. Ask the community for help rather than changing radio settings.

Why did I get an error? Check spelling of the username, send command words by themselves, and keep each submitted message within the normal MeshCore text limit. help returns basic instructions. Repeated radio trouble may be caused by range, a powered-off node, or a path that is not currently working.

Complete command reference Open for account, Directory, and recovery commands
helpBasic Mailbox instructions.
checkCount messages waiting for you.
getRetrieve waiting messages.
username messageSend one message to that username, for example bobdavis Hello Bob!.
name usernameChoose or change your Mailbox address.
display nameChoose the friendly name shown with your messages.
directoryCheck listing status.
directory joinBegin optional listing consent.
directory nameUpdate a current listing's first and last name.
directory leaveRemove your current listing.
yes / noContinue or decline the matching pending Directory invitation.
first nameProvide your first name during the Directory flow.
last nameProvide your last name during the Directory flow.
confirmConfirm the proposed Directory listing.
cancelCancel a pending Directory flow.
recoveryRotate and replace your recovery code. recovery rotate is also accepted.
recover username codeTransfer an account to the authenticated new radio identity using its recovery code.

Commands are case-insensitive. Send commands through a private direct-message conversation with Mailbox; a channel post is not an account command. For device setup, see Get started; for usernames shared by members, browse the Directory.