Purchase compatible materials to construct your Meshtastic device from a retailer (Rokland, Amazon) Device + battery + case + antenna https://meshtastic.org/docs/hardware/devices/ https://store.rokland.com/

Assemble your device, ensuring that the antenna is connected before powering on the device. (May require micro screwdrivers (or soldering, depending on hardware purchased))

Flash your device with the latest stable firmware using the Flasher in a compatible browser (like Chrome). Some devices may require a driver update on your computer before your computer recognizes the mesh device (Heltec v3 - https://docs.heltec.org/general/establish_serial_connection.html ). https://flasher.meshtastic.org/

Install Meshtastic app on iPhone or Android. https://apps.apple.com/in/app/meshtastic/id1586432531 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.geeksville.mesh

Pair your Meshtastic app with your device via Bluetooth, or follow app instructions.

From the app: Set Region to US (if applicable), Select a device name, modify other settings as desired (power save off, for example) or per recommendations.

Send a test message to LongFast channel (public chat) and await confirmation/responses.

Have fun and learn lots!