Meshtastic

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A community to discuss Meshtastic (https://meshtastic.org/docs/introduction)

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Newbie question - I would like to try Meshtastic (lemmy.zip)

submitted 2 days ago by fparri@lemmy.zip to c/meshtastic@mander.xyz

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Do you have any recommendations for a cheap Meshtastic-compatible board? I don’t need GPS or a battery, since I’ll power it with a solar panel or a power bank. Having a case isn’t important; what really matters is avoiding any soldering.

I’m basically looking for a low-cost board with an integrated LoRa antenna. The goal is just to experiment, connecting it via Bluetooth to a PC or smartphone.

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[–] Curious_Canid@piefed.ca 6 points 2 days ago

If you plan on using solar or battery power, I strongly recommend against getting any of the boards that are based on the ESP32S3 processor. Get something that uses the nRF52840 processor instead. The main downside is that you don't get WiFi capability. Most people don't use that, but it may figure into your decision.

The Heltec V3 is a great starter, but it uses the ESP32S3. The RAK Wisblock kit may be the best overall choice for what you're doing. The pre-built solar repeaters I see are nearly all best on it. (I have two and they work very well.)

Another good choice is the Heltec T114. It uses the nRF2840 and it is one of the easiest boards to flash firmware onto. My repeaters are RAK Wisblocks, but my personal radios are all Heltec T114s.

And if you really want to get the cheapest possible board to start with, look at Seeed Studio. They have an ESP32S3-baed board that sells complete for under $10. If you want their case for it, that goes up to around $15. It does include an antenna, but does not come with batteries, and the case has no room for a battery.