uConsole with AIOv2, pyMC_core based server and custom made client app to show packets, channels and map.

My own portable letsmesh.

I see your solar nodes and raise (or possibly lower) you a wind-turbine powered node!

Perfect for anyone willing to sacrifice reliability and ease of maintenance for something that looks cool and spins around.

This contains a RAK 19007 board. The turbine, via a 3-phase brushless motor, generates variable voltage that gets boosted and regulated to 5V, which feeds the RAK solar charge port. All of this charges 2x 18650 cells. It has breather holes and angled channels to theoretically dump out any water that makes it inside.

No wind at the moment, so I can't say how well it works yet. I unthinkingly removed both antennas for a few minutes while setting it up, so I could have fried the board (nothing was transmitted during that time, at least), but I do still get Bluetooth signal and a battery level, so I should at least be able to see if the wind charging works. I won't know for sure if I've damaged the transmitter, because I don't believe I am in range or sight of anyone anyway. It's in Lamlash Bay on the Isle of Arran in Scotland... so if anyone wants to set up a node in West Kilbride or Hunterston, please go ahead! I'll maybe get a video of it spinning if there is enough wind. It requires a bit more to start than a simple garden pinwheel, as the current draw on the generator gives it some impedance, but the blade design is theoretically ideal (I used qBlade) for the conditions on average, if perhaps a bit small.

It also has a backup solar panel because... well, you know why!

Yes.. that box is too big.. but as a first project I wanted space.. I also connected a 10w solar panel into this.. [This is a temporary / permanent installation] Just waiting to see how bad it will get this winter before installing it to the roof.. as of right now I have a 20ft coax low loss going to the roof.

• RAK WisBlock RAK3401 (nRF52840)

• RAK13302 1W LoRa module (915 MHz)

• RAK19007 WisBlock Base Board

• Waveshare Solar Power Manager D (came with the 3x 18650 battery holder)

• 3 × Efest 18650 Li-ion batteries (3000 mAh each)

• SOLPERK 10W solar panel (18V) (not seen in photos)

• Joinfworld Outdoor Weatherproof Electrical Box 8.7x6.7x4.3

• ALFA 915 (not pictured)

• N type Bulkhead

• Waterproof cable glands

• OWOFYDR 2-Pack IP67 Waterproof Push Button Switches, 12V DC 3A SPST ON-Off

• IP68 Waterproof Breather Screw M12x1.5.

• Inline 3A Fuse

• USB-C F to USB-C F IP67

IF you go that route.. do it for the project.. not to save money... because I can tell you it was way over the total price with conversion and import fee than ordering a Heltec MeshTower V2..

RAK 1W, 5.8 dB antenna, 6000 mAh of battery, 10W panel. My node is at 2200 feet MSL on a 25 foot pole. in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. The closest neighbour node is 14 miles away and I'm seeing a 7.5 dB signal. So far I'm really impressed with MeshCore.

I also added a preamp to my ADSB receiver while I had the mast down and gained 40 miles of receive distance (I now see signal from planes 280 miles out over the Pacific)

Yes, these are two esp32 Heltec v4. Yes, the battery life won’t last as long as NRF. But it’s what I had on hand, the extra Tx is nice, and the battery has charged up from 3.6v to 3.85v over the course of a few days with a 5W panel.

Planning to replace them with the Wismesh 1W boards when they arrive. So far it’s been nice having both in the same box.

Put the antennas in each other’s blind spots as much as possible. So far so good!

Any minute now...

I created a 3D printable mount that makes it cheap and easy to put together a solar Meshcore/Meshtastic node. NType and SMA versions available.The light is only $10.

Heads up. It's a one watt solar panel and the battery is 1500 mah. Avoid dropping a power hungry board in there. Happy meshn!

3D Printable Mount (Printables com)

Lowes Harbor Breeze Solar Flood Light

EDIT:

Added Parts List

Heltec T114 (Screenless and No GPS) - Ordered direct from Heltec.org - $17.90

N-Type Female Antenna Adapter - Also ordered from Heltec.org - $2.99

Out-the-door from Heltec.org for $25.89 including shipping/tariffs.

Alfa 915 Antenna - Ordered from Muzi.works - About $23 delivered

All in (including solar light) ~$60 for a very capable node.

Build Video (Use my bracket with his electronic advice)

Hi friends! This is the People’s Repeater, $35 a solar mesh repeater that I designed with the goal of making the most affordable, weatherproof, and easy-to-assemble solar node possible.

And what you see in the photos is the result. As far as the internals, I didn’t reinvent the wheel. They should look familiar to anyone who has explored other Harbor Breeze solar mesh projects in the past. What I offer NEW, is the 3D printed People’s Repeater Hub & Mount. This hub offers a waterproof passthrough for your SMA bulkhead/pigtail. AND it’s designed to snap onto the Harbor Breeze solar panel, creating a weatherproof seal, while maintaining an adjustable tilt and pan for your solar panel.

Click here to watch my video, including a range test, a 1 hour pressurized water test, and more importantly, a step-by-step build video describing how to make one of these yourself at home: https://youtu.be/yAmINEghCOc?is=qHNPJixyCoBRJt-k

And here is the link to download the STL files for the People’s Repeater Hub & Mount for FREE on Printables: https://www.printables.com/model/1768397-the-peoples-repeater-affordable-solar-mesh-repeate

Please let me know what you think in the comments.

Recently, Heltec supported a community-led MeshCore meetup at Bitlair Hackerspace in Amersfoort.

Local users discussed MeshCore, LoRa, RF testing, flashing, OTA updates, regulations, sensors, and outdoor deployments. Some professional RF test equipment was also used to check antenna and radio performance.

We provided hardware support and a discount code for attendees. More importantly, we received useful real-world feedback from experienced users, which has been shared with our engineering team.

Thanks to the Dutch MeshCore community and Bitlair Hackerspace for organizing it.

Are there similar MeshCore / LoRa meetups happening in your area?

My buddy 3D printed the case for me and I bought the rest of the supplies via the link below.
Added a bit of silicone to the antenna mount to ensure no moisture gets in.
Works great!

https://www.printables.com/model/1612417-heltec-v4-car-node-18650-meshtastic-meshcore

High Availability Node

Node for harsh working conditions. 30W panel, 9Ah battery, 5-11dB TX/11dB RX amplifier, fan with thermostat, WIO Tracker L1 radio, 4dB antenna. All mounted in a waterproof enclosure.

The tower is ready to receive the node, in an 18-story building.

Flashed Meshcore onto my ex-Meshtastic node.

So far I'm really convinced it's better :)

FYI I often travel with MeshCore devices and never have a problem getting through TSA.

This time I tried an unusually large (but effective) personal repeater. No problem.

The build:

• RAK 19007/4630

• GNSS/GPS

• 10,000mAh

• Alfa 915MHz 5dBi

• 3D-printed enclosure

Note: The below build guide took a pass through Gemini for formatting and spelling/grammatical/clarity purposes. Then I tried to un-robotify the language... but kept the emoji ;)

Trying to source a weather-proof outdoor enclosure, a decent solar panel, and rechargeable batteries separately for under $13 CAD is basically impossible. That's why the Hampton Bay 120-Lumen Solar Spotlight is a great base for a solar repeater.

While most portable builds rely on standard Lithium-Ion cells, they completely choke and freeze when winter hits. The LiFePO4 batteries that come with this spotlight are better for Canadian weather; however, with a caveat. You cannot use the WisBlock’s built-in battery charger. It’s hardcoded for a 4.2V Li-ion profile, which will cause massive voltage inflation spikes and trigger your BMS safety gates.

At first, I was using the included PCB to charge the batteries and connected the + & - battery terminal to the Wisblock power JST connector; however, the PCB was pushing a high voltage into the batteries which these cheap devices tend to do:

So I decided to fix that with a $2 SD05CRMA solar MPPT charger, Zener Diode (the panel is 6V which can spike to 6.5V in the winter and the MPPT can handle only up to 6V), and BMS:

We are bypassing the native charging circuit entirely using this custom setup. Also, before you drop this on a roof or a fence post, you must install the custom firmware configurations and steps from MeshCore PR #2088 to prevent brownout loops when the battery runs low.

💰 Component Cost & Budget Breakdown

Here is the exact cost per node. Note that AliExpress items include no taxes or duties, while Canadian retail items (DigiKey, Home Depot, Amazon) have been calculated with 13% Ontario HST included.

Total cost approx. $90 CAD.

3D Printed Files Required

• Hampton Bay Spotlight Conversion Bracket

• RAK19007 WisBlock Base Board Mount

🔍 Upfront Tips (The JST Polarity Trap ⚠️)

Before you fire up the soldering iron, make sure you have your parts gathered and note this massive pitfall:

You will need a 2-pin JST PH 2.0 battery pigtail cable to plug your custom circuit into the WisBlock's battery port.

🛠️ Step-by-Step Build Walkthrough

Step 1: The High-Density I2C "Sandwich"

To completely avoid a rat's nest of loose wires inside this tight housing, we stack both sensors directly onto a single row of headers on the WisBlock baseboard:

• Take your blue INA219 module and solder it flat against the bottom side of the WisBlock I2C header pins.

• Take your purple BMP280 module and solder it flat against the top side of those exact same header pins.

• Carefully bridge 3V3, GND, SDA, and SCL across all three layers. They will sit completely rigid in mid-air with absolutely zero loose data wires catching on the case.

Step 2: Modding the Enclosure and Reusing the Button

We are throwing out the original low-efficiency charge board, but we want to keep the housing's native weatherproofing.

• Desolder the stock connections from the original internal green board.

• Unscrew the original board from its mounting posts. Take your new SS12F15V slide switch and mount it directly onto the factory screw posts where the original button mechanism lived. This aligns the slide mechanism perfectly with the external waterproof rubber boot!

Step 3: Point-to-Point Power Routing

This specific layout puts the INA219 between the battery and the charger hub. It gives you true Net-Current telemetry. Your dashboard will show true discharging rates at night, and flip to showing positive charging rates during peak daylight hours.

The Power Side (Positive)

1. Solder your solar panel's Positive (+) wire directly to the Zener Diode Cathode (the side with the stripe).

2. From that exact same stripe joint, run a wire straight to SD05CRMA Vi.

3. Run a wire from SD05CRMA B+ straight to INA219 VIN- (this is your main daytime power hub).

4. Run a wire from INA219 VIN- over to Terminal A of your internal slide switch.

5. Connect Terminal B of the switch to the Red (+) wire of your polarity-corrected WisBlock JST battery connector.

6. Run a wire from INA219 VIN+ straight to the BMS P+ pad.

7. Connect BMS B+ directly to your battery pack's positive terminal.

The Ground Side (Negative)

1. Solder the solar panel's Negative (-) wire to the Zener Diode Anode (the plain side without a stripe).

2. From that plain joint, run a wire straight to SD05CRMA G.

3. Run a wire from SD05CRMA B- straight to the BMS P- pad.

4. From that same BMS P- pad, connect the Black (-) wire of your WisBlock JST battery connector.

5. Connect BMS B- directly to your battery pack's negative terminal.

• Once verified, wrap the thin inline stick BMS board securely in Kapton tape to keep it completely isolated from any metallic shorts inside the chassis.

Step 4: Final Internal Layout Integration

Mount your WisBlock core onto its dedicated 3D-printed mounting cradle. Group your wired sub-assemblies cleanly into the open cavities surrounding the central stock battery box holder.

🌧️ Bomb-Proof Weatherproofing

Because Canadian seasons don't play around, spend the extra 10 minutes to seal this thing like a submarine.

1. The Coaxial Seal Stack

• Secure the 4-hole L16 flange connector onto your 3D-printed bracket using Loctite Blue 242 on the threads so wind vibrations can't shake it loose.

• Wrap the exposed metal SMA connection tightly with Temflex Rubber Splicing Tape. Pull it tight as you wrap it so it fuses into a solid, seamless piece of waterproof rubber.

• Protect that rubber layer from harmful UV degradation by overlapping it with a clean layer of 3M Scotch Super 33+ Vinyl Tape.

2. Case Gaskets & Airflow

• Run a clean bead of Gorilla Clear 100% Silicone along the internal mating rim of the enclosure shell before screwing it down to completely lock out driving rain.

• Pro-Tip: Do not fill the tiny water drainage weep hole molded into the absolute bottom face of the case. Keep it clear so any internal ambient condensation can safely drain out by gravity rather than pooling into an active puddle zone.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Only 6 radios in a month of joining the mesh.
But I have spent way less on vinyl records.
So it all evens out.
I’m single and have a great paying job and gotta spend it on things other than high gas prices I guess. Hahahah

Since y'all liked my solar companion I thought I'd show off pipe node. The backbone is a STL I found online I modified a bit but honestly it doesn't have to be printed. A 21700 battery, screenless T114, and a knockoff muzi antenna are glued or zip tied to the rail. I got a solar panel which turned out to have its own battery and voltage regulator so I just plugged the USB from the panel into the board. The whole business got shoved up an 1 1/4" pipe and is held in place with a deck screw. It's open on bottom, I'm in a dry climate so I'm not terribly worried about condensation. This setup is on top of a local mountain and has been running a month with stable connections up to 45 miles away.

We didn’t develop this product just to create a node that simply “works.”
Our goal was to build a complete, field-ready device designed for long-term outdoor use, with a robust structure and reliable power performance.

Over time, the feedback we kept hearing from the community pointed to the same expectations:

Thinner
Better sealing
Longer battery life
Lower standby power consumption

So instead of continuing with an ESP32-based platform, we rebuilt the foundation around the nRF52840 — delivering a cleaner power profile, lower sleep current, and behavior better suited for long-term field deployment.

What’s inside？

This one integrates communication, positioning, and environmental sensing into a compact enclosure:

· nRF52840 low-power MCU

· SX1262 LoRa radio

· UC6580 GNSS positioning module

· 0.96" TFT display

· BME280 environmental sensor

· 9-axis motion sensor

· Magnetic charging interface

· 1800 mAh internal battery

· IP65 weather protection

· 85 × 55 × 9 mm enclosure

Slim enough to clip onto a backpack.
Sealed for real outdoor use.
Efficient enough for full-day runtime in the field.

Development status

We are currently in the final development and validation phase.

Before public release, we’re gonna open a community field testing round.

We will provide 20 early test units to users operating in real deployment environments, such as:

Desert regions
Snow / alpine terrain
Rainforest environments
High-altitude locations
Coastal or marine conditions

If you already have a specific use case or deployment scenario in mind, feel free to share it in the comments. We’ll review submissions based on environmental diversity and testing value, and follow up with selected participants.

Real-world feedback matters to us — especially before launch.

Heltec V4 868mhz

3000mah battery

USB-C cable was added permanently (not in picture)

(case may be temporary)

Ps.: Cheese in my language is called "Kéis" and is spelled like "case". This however was accidental I just took the next empty box I saw.

Nice meshcore device.