* first draft

examples/companion_radio/DataStore.cpp

@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ File file = openRead(_getContactsChannelsFS(), "/contacts3");
     }
 }
 
-void DataStore::saveContacts(DataStoreHost* host) {
+void DataStore::saveContacts(DataStoreHost* host, bool (*filter)(const ContactInfo& c)) {
   File file = openWrite(_getContactsChannelsFS(), "/contacts3");
   if (file) {
     uint32_t idx = 0;
@@ -317,6 +317,10 @@ void DataStore::saveContacts(DataStoreHost* host) {
     uint8_t unused = 0;
 
     while (host->getContactForSave(idx, c)) {
+      if (filter && !filter(c)) {
+        idx++;  // advance to next contact
+        continue;
+      }
       bool success = (file.write(c.id.pub_key, 32) == 32);
       success = success && (file.write((uint8_t *)&c.name, 32) == 32);
       success = success && (file.write(&c.type, 1) == 1);

examples/companion_radio/DataStore.h

@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ public:
   void loadPrefs(NodePrefs& prefs, double& node_lat, double& node_lon);
   void savePrefs(const NodePrefs& prefs, double node_lat, double node_lon);
   void loadContacts(DataStoreHost* host);
-  void saveContacts(DataStoreHost* host);
+  void saveContacts(DataStoreHost* host, bool (*filter)(const ContactInfo& c) = NULL);
   void loadChannels(DataStoreHost* host);
   void saveChannels(DataStoreHost* host);
   void migrateToSecondaryFS();

examples/companion_radio/MyMesh.cpp

@@ -1536,6 +1536,15 @@ void MyMesh::handleCmdFrame(size_t len) {
   } else if (cmd_frame[0] == CMD_SEND_ANON_REQ && len > 1 + PUB_KEY_SIZE) {
     uint8_t *pub_key = &cmd_frame[1];
     ContactInfo *recipient = lookupContactByPubKey(pub_key, PUB_KEY_SIZE);
+    ContactInfo anon;
+    if (recipient == NULL) { // FIRMWARE_VER_CODE 13+,  allow non-contact requests
+      memset(&anon, 0, sizeof(anon));
+      memcpy(anon.id.pub_key, pub_key, PUB_KEY_SIZE);
+      anon.out_path_len = OUT_PATH_UNKNOWN;
+      anon.type = ADV_TYPE_NONE;  // unknown
+
+      if (addContact(anon)) recipient = &anon;
+    }
     uint8_t *data = &cmd_frame[1 + PUB_KEY_SIZE];
     if (recipient) {
       uint32_t tag, est_timeout;
@@ -1552,7 +1561,7 @@ void MyMesh::handleCmdFrame(size_t len) {
         _serial->writeFrame(out_frame, 10);
       }
     } else {
-      writeErrFrame(ERR_CODE_NOT_FOUND); // contact not found
+      writeErrFrame(ERR_CODE_TABLE_FULL); // contacts full
     }
   } else if (cmd_frame[0] == CMD_SEND_STATUS_REQ && len >= 1 + PUB_KEY_SIZE) {
     uint8_t *pub_key = &cmd_frame[1];
@@ -1983,6 +1992,14 @@ void MyMesh::handleCmdFrame(size_t len) {
   }
 }
 
+static bool save_filter(const ContactInfo& c) {
+  return c.type != ADV_TYPE_NONE;   // don't save the transient/anon entries
+}
+
+void MyMesh::saveContacts() {
+  _store->saveContacts(this, save_filter);
+}
+
 void MyMesh::enterCLIRescue() {
   _cli_rescue = true;
   cli_command[0] = 0;

examples/companion_radio/MyMesh.h

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 #include "AbstractUITask.h"
 
 /*------------ Frame Protocol --------------*/
-#define FIRMWARE_VER_CODE 12
+#define FIRMWARE_VER_CODE 13
 
 #ifndef FIRMWARE_BUILD_DATE
 #define FIRMWARE_BUILD_DATE "19 Apr 2026"
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ private:
 
   // helpers, short-cuts
   void saveChannels() { _store->saveChannels(this); }
-  void saveContacts() { _store->saveContacts(this); }
+  void saveContacts();
 
   DataStore* _store;
   NodePrefs _prefs;

src/helpers/BaseChatMesh.cpp

@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ ContactInfo* BaseChatMesh::allocateContactSlot() {
     uint32_t oldest_lastmod = 0xFFFFFFFF;
     for (int i = 0; i < num_contacts; i++) {
       bool is_favourite = (contacts[i].flags & 0x01) != 0;
-      if (!is_favourite && contacts[i].lastmod < oldest_lastmod) {
+      if (!is_favourite && contacts[i].lastmod < oldest_lastmod && contacts[i].type != ADV_TYPE_NONE) {
         oldest_lastmod = contacts[i].lastmod;
         oldest_idx = i;
       }
@@ -164,6 +164,7 @@ void BaseChatMesh::onAdvertRecv(mesh::Packet* packet, const mesh::Identity& id,
     from->sync_since = 0;
     from->shared_secret_valid = false;
   }
+
   // update
   putBlobByKey(id.pub_key, PUB_KEY_SIZE, temp_buf, plen);
   StrHelper::strncpy(from->name, parser.getName(), sizeof(from->name));

src/helpers/BaseChatMesh.h

@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ public:
   #define MAX_CONTACTS  32
 #endif
 
+#define MAX_ANON_CONTACTS  8
+
 #ifndef MAX_CONNECTIONS
   #define MAX_CONNECTIONS  16
 #endif
@@ -58,9 +60,9 @@ class BaseChatMesh : public mesh::Mesh {
 
   friend class ContactsIterator;
 
-  ContactInfo contacts[MAX_CONTACTS];
+  ContactInfo contacts[MAX_CONTACTS+MAX_ANON_CONTACTS];
   int num_contacts;
-  int sort_array[MAX_CONTACTS];
+  int sort_array[MAX_CONTACTS+MAX_ANON_CONTACTS];
   int matching_peer_indexes[MAX_SEARCH_RESULTS];
   unsigned long txt_send_timeout;
 #ifdef MAX_GROUP_CHANNELS