01 · the problem
Storms, floods, and ice take down power and communications in our region, sometimes for days. Families cannot reach each other, and volunteer responders lose coordination exactly when they need it most.
Retinue · community radio
Low-cost radio networks that keep communities messaging when cell towers and internet go down.
A project of Merely LLC in Ashland, Kentucky. Open standards, open source, community-owned.
02 · the approach
Small LoRa radios relay data device to device at long range. Hosted at fire stations, churches, ridgelines, and public facilities, they form local networks that can link with their neighbors.
how the mesh works
- fire stationorigin
- church steeplerelay
- water towerrelay
- ridgelinerelay
- county garagedestination
Each unit costs about as much as a tank of gas and can run on battery, solar, or wall power. The network remains useful as long as working radios retain a path between them.
the FIVCO pilot
- 01Greenup
- 02Boyd
- 03Carter
- 04Elliott
- 05Lawrence
Ten sites across Boyd, Carter, Elliott, Greenup, and Lawrence counties, hosted by local organizations and public facilities, with high ground prioritized for useful range.
The pilot produces three things:
- A working backup messaging layer for participating communities.
- A measured coverage map.
- A costed, step-by-step playbook other Appalachian counties can copy.
what it costs
| Item | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Heltec V4 radio, assembled and programmed | ~ $50 |
| T114 radio | ~ $30 |
| All-in-one solar node | ~ $100 |
| Battery, solar panel, or wall power | varies by site |
| Monthly service fees or subscriptions | none |
| Ten-site county pilot | materials + installation + training |
Exact site costs depend on the host and placement. Measuring them is part of the pilot.
06 · partnership
Merely is the technical partner: building, installing, and maintaining equipment, then training local hosts. An eligible public or nonprofit partner holds grant funds. The community owns its network.
07 · open source
Retinue is the open-source radio stack. It supports the major mesh networking standards today while we work toward a simple, secure way to manage your own radios.
Read the Retinue source ↗