We’re excited to announce that 5.0, the newest firmware and app release, is available to download. With this release, we’re focused on improving the user experience so you’ll see UI updates, bug fixes, and importantly, a major update to our bluetooth stack. We’re also very excited to bring Emergency Beacon to Mesh, and release an increase (in beta) to SIX mesh hops!
IMPORTANT NOTE: The first time you pair your phone with your goTenna device after updating the app, make sure all other goTenna devices within range are turned off. You will be prompted to initiate a firmware update that may take up to 25 minutes to complete, however once installed it will make all future firmware updates super fast!
Here’s what to expect:
Firmware
6 hops! With 5.0 you can test our new 6 hop capability. In 5.1, 6 hops will become a goTenna Plus feature, so give it a try now!
‘Push for help’ Emergency Beacon system - tap the power button on your device 5x to start broadcasting a custom emergency message along with your location and critical information, like blood type, to all goTenna user’s within range (and emergency messages always travel 6 hops!)
Bluetooth 5.0 update
Flash LED for Shouts in Relay Mode
Bug fixes
iOS
Support for Bluetooth 5.0
App theme update
Update hop animation and stat tracking
Updated location sharing UI
Enable Emergency Beacon
Updated Onboarding - Users can access in-app features before receiving Mesh hardware
Contacts UI update - Resolves country code error
Additional bug fixes
Android
App foreground service - This update, combined with the updated bluetooth stack, will greatly improve the connection to your Mesh!
All right, this is going to be a big step forward! Six hops goes a long long way! Makes in-car and above the home repeaters practical. And is going to go a long way toward making goTenna Mesh a familiar sight!
Is it safe to assume that when 5.1 rolls out and makes the 6 hop (7 total devices, 5 intermediary relays) a plus only feature that the messages will be passed on regardless of the subscription status of intermediary gotenna? That is to say, messages sent from plus subscribers will be given a higher hop countdown and not be dependent on devices not in their control. If my understanding is of how this was implemented previously, that would make sense.
Fantastic! I can’t see the update yet in the app store for ios, but I’m sure it’ll arrive in a couple hours.
Does this increase the hop count for shout messages as well? In suburbia, I’m sure I’ll be lucky to just find one gotenna within transmit distance. I think the biggest problem currently is finding another gotenna user in order to use the multi-hop functionality.
Shout will still be just direct messaging to others within range, with no relay.
Emergency Shout already uses relays, but is adding a Beacon feature with a custom emergency message., your location, etc via the mesh network
Having the extra hops will help with this, but get your first relay up first – the one that SHOULD be right above your house, powered 24/7/ It used to be that hop to get up there would be a pretty big penalty in the 3 hop system. In the 6 hop system, getting to the rooftop is what counts most, as once there it’s usually good line of sight (LOS) to the network.
It’s not always the case, but I think people may see immediate reception improvements in many situations. You could be very close to getting the next hop with three hops, so to reach six may mean that 4th is all that’s needed and there you go.
Having some problems with the 5.0 update. One node is updated. The next one just continually flashes the white LED after saying 100 percent and wont pair. The final one does not ask to update the firmware. I’ll leave it over night to run the battery down and try again. I’ll leave my fourth one un updated and put away until I can figure this out.
I’m very excited to see everyone jumping in to 5.0!
Correct, @Briann once 5.1 is released, those with the Plus subscription active will have a higher hop count that those who do not have an active subscription.
Shouts will not relay via 6 hops.
Messages sent via the Emergency Beacon / Emergency Chat will relay over 6 hops. Come 5.1, these messages will continue to relay via 6 hops.
That’s too bad. All of our iOS devices are still on 9.3. iOS 10 and 11 cause too many performance issues on the older iPhones, with my stack of 4s not even capable of going higher than 9.
so for 2 out of 6 wont update the firmware. :-/ not sure I want to try any more… the first one said the update failed and now wont pair :-/ 2nd just failed, with leaveing the ap open the entire time.