---
id: position
title: Position Configuration
sidebar_label: Position
---

import Tabs from '@theme/Tabs';
import TabItem from '@theme/TabItem';

The position config options are: GPS Enabled, GPS Update Interval, GPS Attempt Time, Fixed Position, Smart Broadcast, Broadcast Interval and Position Packet Flags.  Position config uses an admin message sending a `Config.Position` protobuf.

Position data from GPS is provided by either the radio or your paired phone. Position data is not required to use Meshtastic but time calculations require at least one device on the mesh have either a GPS or internet connection for time.

## Position Config Values

### GPS Disabled
Acceptable values: `true` or `false` 

Defaults to false. Should the device GPS be disabled for this node?

### GPS Update Interval

How often should we try to get GPS position (in seconds), or zero for the default of once every 30 seconds, or a very large value (maxint) to update only once at boot.

### GPS Attempt Time

How long should we try to get our position during each GPS update interval attempt?  (in seconds) Or if zero, use the default of 30 seconds.

### Fixed Position

Acceptable values: `true` or `false` 

Off by default

If set, this node is at a fixed position. The device will generate GPS updates at the regular GPS update interval, but use whatever the last lat/lon/alt it saved for the node. The lat/lon/alt can be set by an internal GPS or with the help of the mobile device's GPS.

### Smart Broadcast
Acceptable values: `true` or `false` 

On by default

Smart broadcast will send out your position at an increased frequency only if your location has changed enough for a position update to be useful.

Smart broadcast complements broadcast interval (doesn't override that setting) but will apply an algorithm to more frequently update your mesh network if you are in motion and then throttle it down when you are standing still. If you use this feature, it's best to leave broadcast interval at the default.

Smart broadcast will calculate an ideal position update interval based on the data rate of your selected channel configuration.

### Broadcast Interval

Default of `0` is 15 minutes

If smart broadcast is of we should send our position this often (but only if it has changed significantly)

The GPS updates will be sent out every Broadcast Interval, with either the actual GPS location, or an empty location if no GPS fix was achieved. This defaults to broadcast every 15 minutes.

 ### Position Flags 

 Bit field of boolean configuration options for POSITION messages (bitwise OR of PositionFlags)

|     Value     |                         Description                         |
| :-----------: | :---------------------------------------------------------: | 
| UNSET         |                  Required for compilation                   |
| ALTITUDE      |          Include an altitude value (if available)           |
| ALTITUDE_MSL  |                    Altitude value is MSL                    |
| GEOIDAL_SEPARATION  |                 Include geoidal separation                  |
|    DOP        |   Include the DOP value ; PDOP used by default, see below   |
|   HVDOP       | If POS_DOP set, send separate HDOP / VDOP values instead of PDOP |
| SATINVIEW |           Include number of "satellites in view"            |
|  SEQ_NO   |      Include a sequence number incremented per packet       |
| TIMESTAMP |      Include positional timestamp (from GPS solution)       |
| HEADING   |      Include positional heading (from GPS solution)       |
| SPEED     |      Include positional speed (from GPS solution)       |



 ## Position Config Client Availability

<Tabs
groupId="settings"
defaultValue="apple"
values={[
{label: 'Android', value: 'android'},
{label: 'Apple', value: 'apple'},
{label: 'CLI', value: 'cli'},
{label: 'Flasher', value: 'flasher'},
{label: 'Web', value: 'web'},
]}>
<TabItem value="android">

:::info
Position config is not available for Android.
:::

</TabItem>
<TabItem value="apple">

:::info
All position config values are available on iOS, iPadOS and macOS at Settings > Radio Configuration > Position.
:::

</TabItem>
<TabItem value="cli">

All Position config commands are available in the python CLI. Example commands are below:

|         Setting                |                                                                       Acceptable Values                                                                       |     Default     |
| :----------------------------: | :-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------: | :-------------: |
|      position.gps_enabled     |                                                                        `true`, `false`                                                                        |     `true`     |
|   position.gps_update_interval |                                                                      `integer` (seconds)                                                                      | Default `0` is 30 Seconds  |
|    position.gps_attempt_time   |                                                                      `integer` (seconds)                                                                      | Default of `0` is 30 Seconds  |
|      position.fixed_position   |                                                                        `true`, `false`                                                                        |     `false`     |
| position.position_broadcast_smart_enabled       |                                                                `true`, `false`                                                                        |     `true`     |
| position.position_broadcast_secs        |                                                                      `integer` (seconds)                                                                      | Default of `0` is 15 Minutes  |
|      position.flags            | `UNSET`, `ALTITUDE`, `ALTITUDE_MSL`, `GEOIDAL_SEPARATION`, `DOP`, `HVDOP`, `PDOP`, `SATINVIEW`, `SEQ_NO`, `TIMESTAMP`, `HEADING`, `SPEED` | `UNSET` |


```shell title="Set GPS update interval (Default of 0 is 30 seconds)"
meshtastic --set position.gps_update_interval 0
meshtastic --set position.gps_update_interval 45
```

```shell title="Set GPS attempt time (Default of 0 is 30 seconds)"
meshtastic --set position.gps_attempt_time 0
meshtastic --set position.gps_attempt_time 45
```

```shell title="Set Fixed Position - Current Location"
meshtastic --set position.fixed_position true
```

:::note
The device will continue to acquire GPS coordinates according to the `gps_update_interval`, but will use the last saved coordinates as its fixed point.
:::

```shell title="Set Fixed Position - User Defined"
meshtastic --setlat 37.8651 --setlon -119.5383
```

```shell title="Unset Fixed Position"
meshtastic --set position.fixed_position false
```

```shell title="Enable / Disable Smart position broadcast (Enabled by default)"
meshtastic --set position.position_broadcast_smart_enabled true
meshtastic --get position.position_broadcast_smart_enabled false
```

```shell title="Set Position Broadcast Interval (Default of 0 is 15 minutes)"
meshtastic --set position.broadcast_secs 0
meshtastic --set position.broadcast_secs 60
```

:::note
It may take some time to see that the change has taken effect. The GPS location is updated according to the value specified on `gps_update_interval` and the mesh will be notified of the new position in relation to the `position_broadcast_secs` value.
:::

:::tip
Include each flag desired separated by a single space.
:::

```shell title="Set / Unset Position Flags"
meshtastic --pos-fields ALTITUDE ALTITUDE_MSL
meshtastic --pos-fields UNSET
```

</TabItem>
<TabItem value="flasher">

:::info
No position config options are available in the Flasher.
:::

  </TabItem>
  <TabItem value="web">

:::info
All position config options are available in the Web UI.
:::
    
  </TabItem>
</Tabs>

:::caution
Altering/disabling the GPS functionality does not mean that you will be unable to be found. Via triangulation of your radio, location may be given up to someone if they are determined enough.
:::
