Gear & Recommendations
Disclosure: Links may be Amazon affiliate links. I only list gear I’ve used or would use at this station. Prices and availability change — verify before buying.
This page is meant to be updated often. Build stories and config live on Station; range method on Coverage.
Quick picks
| Need | Pick | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Solar / low-power king | LilyGo T-Echo (nRF52) | Built-in sensors, low sleep current |
| Solar + modular | RAK4631 + RAK19007 base | WisBlock ecosystem, solar-friendly nRF |
| General / mobile | LilyGo T-Beam (ESP32) | GPS, common in the field |
| Display + keypad | LilyGo T-Deck (ESP32) | GNSS, Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth |
| Wi‑Fi + BT LoRa | Heltec LoRa 32 v4 | Prefer current SX1262-class boards |
| WisBlock solar-oriented | RAK19007 / RAK4631 kits | Matches the farm solar gray-box pattern |
| Heltec alternate | Heltec LoRa 32 v3 | Avoid older v2.1 (SX127x) |
By use case
Solar and always-on nodes
Prefer nRF52 (T-Echo, RAK4631). ESP32 idle current is often too high for small panels.
- T-Echo and RAK4631 + RAK19007 are the core recommendations used here.
- Pair with a modest LiPo and a small flexible panel (see solar notes on Station).
Mobile and portable
- T-Beam for GPS-heavy mobile use
- T-Echo when battery life matters more than ESP32 features
Displays and “communicator” form factors
- T-Deck when you want onboard UI without always using a phone
Not mesh-by-itself
| Item | Link | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ESP32 2.8″ touch display board | Amazon | No LoRa — not a mesh radio by itself |
Skip / avoid
- Heltec LoRa 32 v2.1 (and similar SX127x-era boards) when you can buy SX1262-class hardware instead
- Buying ESP32-only “solar” kits without checking real idle current
Stack tags
| Gear class | Meshtastic | MeshCore | Reticulum |
|---|---|---|---|
| LoRa node boards above | Primary | Check MeshCore hardware support before buying | Host/radio path differs — don’t assume the same SKU list |
| Solar RAK / T-Echo | Yes | Verify | Usually separate |
When MeshCore- or RNS-specific shopping lists stabilize, they get their own subsections here with the same last reviewed discipline.