5panel.dance

I've got a few nodes set up here and there to serve different purposes, and I'll be talking about the hardware a little bit here! None of it is anything super fancy, but I think it's neat!

Only a couple of my nodes have location information set, and they're all specific coordinates entered by hand with accuracy turned wayyyyy down for privacy reasons. Any maps my nodes may show up in do not reflect anywhere near their actual location, and are for extremely-vague-range-test-reference-number reasons only!

My primary EDC node is a super low-cost nRF52 fakeTec node, based on a clone nice!nano MCU coupled with an SX1262 HT-RA62 module. It's got a 3000mAh battery and an M5Stack CardKB module for sending messages completely standalone, all housed in my Minimesh case! Battery life lasts roughly 2 weeks between charges, and it'll fit just about any SMA antenna I have on hand, though it's currently using a LINX ANT-916, which I've found to be pretty solid.

This node tends to stay in my pocket or bag most of the time! While I'm at work I'll have it up high on a shelf for better reception.

At home, I keep a Heltec V3 running, hooked up to my PC at all times, connected to Meshsense! This node monitors connections between nodes on the mesh and provides data to the global MeshSense map!

This node uses a GIZONT 17cm antenna from AliExpress, which was recommended by the community, and I've had good results with it.

I've been slowly but steadily putting together a solar node setup, with the most affordable parts I can find. It's still a major work in progress, so if you're reading this paragraph as-is, it's probably not totally accurate anymore! What I can say for certain won't change, though, is that the radio hardware is extremely similar to my EDC node. It runs on an nRF52 fakeTec and SX1262 HT-RA62 module combo again, with a BME280 temperature/humidity sensor, and this particular cheap 5v regulated solar panel from AliExpress. To keep it weatherproof, I used an SMA pigtail connector I had laying around which I previously bought by mistake for a portable node. The base was way too large to fit the shell, but that's because it has a rubber o-ring built in! Perfect for drilling into the side of a plastic box. However, for the next revision I'm moving to an N-female connector instead, which is a bit more fit for outdoor use.

The antenna I plan to use with the new N-female connector is an ALFA AOA-915-5ACM, which I'm still waiting on as of writing this. However, it's currently using this particular articulating antenna I found on AliExpress. It's not amazing, and if you want a cheap antenna from AliExpress you're probably better off with a GIZONT whip antenna, but I made the (regrettable) decision to mount the SMA connector on the side of the box, forcing me to bend it up at a 90 degree angle.