Glossary

Plain-English meanings for the words that show up around the map.

Approved feeder

An MQTT watcher that has been reviewed for a region and has supplied real receipt evidence. Only approved watchers can contribute verified regional coverage.

Coverage cell

An aggregate map area representing verified mapping evidence. Its color reflects evidence quality, not a simulated radio prediction.

Watcher (technical MQTT gateway)

An independent device that hears Meshtastic traffic and uploads receipt metadata to the MQTT service. It is not the wardriver and is not automatically a repeater.

IATA region

A regional public-map area identified by an IATA-style code such as SLC, BOI, or TWF. It has a boundary, local policy, watchers, and administrators.

Mapper / wardriver

The person using the Android app during a mapping trip. Their phone GPS is the candidate map location for a controlled mapping test.

Region invite key

A time-limited administrator-issued key used to enroll an app installation and its connected radio. It can be one-use, limited to a chosen number of new radios, or unlimited. It is not a Meshtastic channel key.

Mapping test

A low-rate, tagged packet sent on the approved mapping channel. It has to be tied to phone GPS and independently received before it can create coverage evidence.

Mesh sender

The node that originated a packet. Its identity is not interchangeable with the feeder/gateway that reported receiving the packet to MQTT.

Position Packet

A voluntary node position report observed through MQTT. FreqMapper shows it as blue activity/discovery information. It never becomes coverage evidence by itself.

Receipt

Metadata that a feeder reports after hearing a packet, including receiver identity, time, and possibly signal or hop information.

Verified coverage

The result of matching a mapper's phone GPS and tagged test with an approved feeder's independent receipt in the correct time window and region.

Last updated: 2026-08-26