How to build a super covert solar Meshtastic node!!!

In this video I show you how I put together my outdoor nodes which can be placed in very good locations and can run indefinitely from solar. This is a full build video that covers battery preparation right the way through to testing the node is ready for deployment!
Waveshare 2040 Lora
amzn.to/3BIATxb
Small waterproof enclosure
amzn.to/3NnUAge
1S BMS (battery protection)
amzn.to/4dQhesu
Solar panel
amzn.to/3BIiuRn
Lithium ION batteries
www.fogstar.co.uk
TS100 Soldering Iron
amzn.to/405dhx8
SMA Pigtail
amzn.to/4dONOev
MPPT Charge controller module
amzn.to/3NqrRre
3D Print file for solar panel spacer
drive.google.c...
Sponsor the T-Deck (device-gui) project
github.com/spo...
My Gateway
meshtastic.lia...
Liams Map
meshtastic.lia...
TO BE SEEN ON THE MAP PLEASE USE THE UPDATED MQTT DETAILS BELOW:
Address: mqtt.meshtastic.liamcottle.net
Username: uplink
Password: uplink
Encryption Enabled: Yes
JSON Output: No
TLS Enabled: No
Please note, nodes can only uplink to this server. Downlink is disabled.
We suggest running dedicated nodes for uplinking to the map.
ORDER YOUR T-DECK PLUS HERE!!!
www.lilygo.cc/...
Heltec T114 Mesh Node
heltec.org/pro...
10% OFF WITH COUPON CODE: 8UX2EZWC
Aliexpress
s.click.aliexp...
2 USD OFF WITH COUPON CODE: UIZAVRL9
Zero Fox 3D (Bender case for Heltec T114)
www.zerofox3d....
SEEED Studio SENSECAP T1000E Tracker:
www.seeedstudi...
Use the code below for a 10% discount!!!! -----
10% DISCOUNT CODE: H5VAOW4A
👇🏼--- Other recommended mesh related products ---👇🏼
Paradar Antenna
amzn.to/3McUzew
Good quality SMA pigtail
amzn.to/3Mc6oSe
Paradar Yagi
12.5dbi - amzn.to/4dvt7oC
9.5dbi - amzn.to/4dvt7oC
Meshtastic Store
mpowered247.com/
JOIN THE DISCUSSION ON MY DISCORD!
/ discord
Contact me
[e-mail]

[@Crusher9mil]

I'm almost done with a project I've been developing that also has sun tracking, I'm calling it SolarTrek. I'm using a RAK board no GPS, an arduino beetle, two 9 gram servos, 4 small solar panels and 4 photo resistors. I printed a frame that holds the 4 panels and photo resistors. I also printed the mount that holds the arduino & servos. I just started testing out side and after tweaking the code it tracks the sun all day and sleeps at night. I'm almost done, getting excited to permanently set it up.

[@xraymarklive]

be interested to see this

[@ragheadand420roll]

🏆

[@HobkinBoi]

I think a good discreet node would be something like a birdhouse.

[@dr3wster]

I know another local meshtastic user is already doing this. Great idea!

[@MattJoyce01]

Room for some small silica gel packs too. Super interesting.

[@citizensteve6713]

I’ve made a few repeaters using these since they don’t have Bluetooth or wifi to connect to them. I found the local hardware store was selling a solar light on clearance because of a fault in the PCBs, once the battery protection stepped in it wouldn’t reset until the main switch was cycled. So I installed the RP2040-Lora board an a MPPT board from aliexpress. They haven’t missed a beat. All up cost $45 Australian. I Was thinking of making and selling but end users are painful.

[@ragheadand420roll]

Back in the day i used to love building and selling computers. Except as you say. The end user. The biggest problem in most computing systems was between the chair and the keyboard ✌️🇺🇸

[@martinhyska1206]

Can i use also 5v battery power supply?

[@hamika20]

This turned out amazing, great job 👏🏻

[@andykirby]

Thank you!! 😊

[@JohnNorrbin]

Andy, i checked the "variant.h" file for the rp2040-lora in the meshtastic firmware, and there they have pin 26 as a "battery pin". You should be able to connect an extra lead from the positive of the protection board to that pin, you need a voltage divider though, since the pins are only 3.3V tolerant. The pin was however commented out, i would guess its just to override the default one, but maybe not. If that is the case you would have to follow the meshtastic firmware build guide and set the pin there. When building the firmware yourself, you can also calibrate the ADC if it is way off, ie it shows the voltage as not correct when checking in the app vs multimeter (this happens also if the values of your resistors in the divider are not perfect).

[@jonoedgar8809]

Can confirm this works, but yes you need to build your own firmware as setting batt pin to pin 26 via app does not work

[@AtticusG3]

I've dabbled with Lora gear a few times over the years but never had much luck with it, you might have inspired me to have another go at it

[@johnhanley5546]

My Holy Grail project - thank you!!

[@sparkyprojects]

Good thing you put the gap in the gasket at the bottom, though i would file the ride away in that area for drainage What i used to do at work is to drill a 3mm hole in the lowest point of the box, it's possible you can get condensation, or even a leak. best to just let it out.

[@benfk2]

Nice. I built something similar with the same cases from Amazon (pack of 4, very competitive price). I'm using the Heltec v3 as I have so many of them laying around. ESP32 has a bad rep but with power saving, I get about a week of operation (without solar). Suprisingly useable. It's all cheap enough that when one finally gets nicked, I'm not gonnna cry about it. Great temporary nodes for testing stuff out.

[@andykirby]

Nice! Yeah heltecs can actually come down to nearly the same level as this with Bluetooth and WiFi off and some power saving. Very cool how the project has moved on 😁

[@Mike-H_UK]

Great stuff Andy!! I can pick up Hertford Omni (H001) and Heath (H007) in Northants (NN10) using nodes MIK1, MIK2 and MIK3. I'll keep a lookout for EDGE.

[@andykirby]

Wow that's cool! Are you on the discord? 😁

[@ragheadand420roll]

THIS IS THE CUTTING EDGE OF A NEW WAVE OF FUN. ❤🇺🇸✌️🙏

[@johnmilner0859]

Great project & video Andy. 👍🏻

[@dr3wster]

Just a few tips as I've build quite a few of these now. Ideally, put a small header on the device you're powering the use a JST connector or similar to allow quick disconnect. Or even put an inline JST on the cable. Having to de-solder to either change the battery or generally service it is going to be a pain, especially when it's out in the wild. Also not mentioned is the Green Power module that RAK sells, that I use in every build - this is a buck converter that works in a similar way to an MPPT charge controller and will harvest any extra energy below the usual voltage threshold of the device. In regards to spot welding the pads of the PCB - I also didn't have success with this and use soldered wired going to spot welded tabs on the battery - just be careful because the pads desolder really easily - it would be nice is the pads were tinned copper, but they seem to be soldered pads. A note RE voltage measurement - the RAKS, using the built in charge controller, will provide voltage feedback by way of telemetry. I might have missed this, but if the box is air-tight, you'll want to add a vent. Otherwise the constant temperature changes will eventually wear out your seals. Keep up the great work Andy - I really appreciate your content!

[@andykirby]

Good tips and thoughts there thanks!😁👍🏻

[@l0gic23]

Do you have a blog or something we can search and learn from?

[@gordonw9208]

I was looking at the amazon page for the battery protection module you linked and are using. In the description it states the over discharge detection at 2.45v: "Overcharge Detection Voltage: 4.25 ± 0.05V; Overcharge Release Voltage: 4.23 ± 0.05V; Over Discharge Detection Voltage: 2.45 ± 0.1V" I am surprised that all these LiPo BMS modules will allow the battery to drain so low. Any discharging under 3v for a LiPo is taxing on the cell and will seriously reduce it's lifespan. I think the Ideal BMS and or charger would have a range of 3.2v to 4.1v. If you look at a graph of the capacity these batteries have at different voltages, charging over 4 volts doesn't add much, and discharging under 3.2v doesn't give much more run time.

[@bikeham]

Nice build! It's a shame you need a spot welder ~$130 for the LiFePo battery. I try to use cream coloured boxes for my nodes to reduce the sun heating the box. They hide a bit better in some of trees here in Aus.

[@MaartenAnna]

That was great, really interesting. I like that you left ruining your charging board in. I hate it when that happens 😂 Magic white smoke. Anyway, I was thinking, have you tried strapping a node on the bottom of a drone (or fpv drone)? If you fly it up to about 100m, for about 20mins, how much range would you have? You might get up to 20km? I know some long range fpv guys who flew on 433, before it all got regulated, and flew over 12km. So I guess radio connectivity that should be doable. You probably would have to get some help, from people all around to test distance Also, you'd have to ensure your drone would stay under 250gr, but you'd probably be able to get power from the distribution board from the drone, so you just need the node and an antenna.

[@daich]

recently did a very similar build, added two resistors and made a voltage divider on a GPIO pin to get the voltage read out. 3 days of no london sun and I'm down to 50% on my 21700....c'mon sun there is also an issue with long transmisisons getting corrupted due to the use of xtal instead of a tcxo (someone replaced it with a tcxo to fix it)

[@kevinroberts781]

I built almost this exact set up 6 months ago. You will be disappointed in the solar panel. Get a 5 volt panel made to change cell phones and USB power packs. Been running for 4 months solid. I did use 2 18650 cells in parallel.

[@ChadKovac]

I wanna do essentially this but with an added microwave motion sensor so I know when people or animals are near node

[@TechWithMarc]

I think that was just a flex he could do a whole project in the time it took me to solder a few wires together in my video :p cant wait to see where this one is placed

[@andykirby]

🤣👍🏻

[@JamesTorrey]

Excellent video. For waterproofing, couldn't you just mount the whole thing upside down?

[@adrianthomas4660]

Someone has rewired a few base mics , nice to see a proper bit of soldiering Andy , easily above commercial standard close to U.K. MoD standard . I do like that little spot welder , been ages since I saw it last. Can it charge under an incandescent lamp say 60w ?

[@andykirby]

Thanks man, yeah I did my time in various electronics production factories in the 90's 😁 I think it probably would flow a little bit of current under an incandescent lamp but not a lot though..

[@samocooper9070]

Hey Andy from New Zealand, setting up the Station G2, you should look into this node it has impressive specs, anyway, I wanted to use Store and forward but it now wont work on Longfast, and if you dont have Longfast as channel 0 then you cant see other nodes, im so confused with S&F, have you tried it?

[@jonoedgar8809]

Hi You can read battery voltage from pin 26 using a 2 resistor voltage divider between batt, pin 26 and gnd but you need to compile the firmware yourself. Also you will most likely run into an issue were the rp2040 won't boot cleanly after battery goes flat, and the solar pannel isn't putting out enough power to boot cleanly(usually at dawn) And will need to be manually reset. The fix I used is a 3.4v voltage detector chip between batt ,gnd and run pin on the rp2040, when batt beneath 3.4v it pulls run low and shuts off the rp 2040. And finally the 1w solar pannel is most likely too small for that use case, I tried a 1.5w pannel with no luck. With a 2000mah battery. Have found around 5v 3w works well. Has been stable for around 2 months now with alot of overcast weather.

[@TheRealBigJake]

I use that same mppt controller for my Rak devices and it works great 👍

With the RAK, do you also need the protection board Andy is using?

[@TheRealBigJake]

Yes I'm pretty sure. I used one to be safe.

[@dr3wster]

Did you consider the RAK green power module? I use these with great success.

[@TheRealBigJake]

@@dr3wster no because I've never heard of that module. I'll check it out 👍

[@dav1dbone]

3d printed case, use the drone to deploy them in high altitude places

[@ManuelLausmann-Funktechnik]

In winter, the solar node shown in the video in Central Europe works for a maximum of 2 to 3 days in bad weather

[@vdubvw3682]

Hey great vid! Do you have link for the spot welder you used?

[@fotografm]

The RP2040 doesn't have a Bluetooth capability does it ? This makes the device only really useful as a bridge between distant nodes in the mesh and not as an end user device for sending nessages from a mobile phone.

[@AlexSwanson-rw7cv]

Are these reasonably robust if placed somewhere difficult to access for eg performing a physical reset? Vaguely considering putting a node on a pole on my roof and wouldn't want to have to get it down again to resolve glitches.

[@proszęCię]

does it work by itself after building? or do you have to program it somehow?

[@TeardownOZ2CPU]

how many days is this going to work, this tiny solar panel and all this this power usage from this type of node ? summer and winter ? and do you have power off at night ? so it at least work a little bit some day hrs ?

[@baqbaq123]

Without Bluetooth or WiFi, what is the Meshtastic setting after flashing in?😢

[@fotografm]

Excellent video with very helpful parts list links. What do you think about the operable temperature range of that battery ? Is it safe to charge it below zero degrees C ???

[@andykirby]

I'd say it's not worth worrying about at this low power level. It's similar to a solar LED lamp and there's loads of them with Lithium ION batteries in these days. They will still last years and won't do anything nasty.

[@woutvansteenkiste8464]

The charger module should be connected to the battery directly. When the battery protection circuit cutts of the power to the radio and charger. The sun won't be able to charge up the battery and so the battery will stay dead.

[@andykirby]

The way I understand it is the battery connection on the module is for charging as well as discharging, so when the module disconnects the battery it will reset when voltage rises again. Maybe should test this again, thanks.

[@woutvansteenkiste8464]

@@andykirby well yes but i don't think the voltage will rise because the solar charger can't reach the battery.

[@andykirby]

I know spme of them restore the connection to the battery when current flows into the P terminals... maybe it would be best to go straight to the battery like you say... I'll test it...

[@woutvansteenkiste8464]

@@andykirby I haven't properly tested it myself so i might also do so. Happy meshing! Thanks for the content!

[@andykirby]

Cheers 👍🏻😁

[@TerraMagnus]

RP2040 wouldn’t have been on my bingo card for a build like this, but I’m listening…

[@andykirby]

First one I've built with 2040, something Nrf would be lower power consumption.

[@gadjetsvideo]

Aren't there pads on the other side of the cell protector that you can spot weld onto? it looks like that's what they are on the amazon pictuters.

[@dr3wster]

Not on every module - mine don't have these for e.g.

[@gadjetsvideo]

@@dr3wster Yes, mine did and you can see at the beginning of the video that Andy's has them

[@Pikminbloomshorts]

So, if I'm going to use more then one battery. Can I use one bms for them all or do I need one for each?

[@andykirby]

If they are in parallel then 1 board. If you have multiple batteries in series then you'll need a proper BMS for the number of cells you are using.

[@TheRealBigJake]

Can you use a separate module to measure the voltage?

[@kenneth6731]

Which one will put out 1 watt? Thank you, you make the best #MeshPron :)

[@andykirby]

There's an 868 1262module that will do 1W, can't remember where it's from though.😁

[@catalinalb1722]

Could the BME680 and INA 260 connect to this board?

[@Uplateondatube]

Is there anyway to do this without spot welding the battery ?

[@andykirby]

Yes, find a battery with tabs on, or recycle one from something else.

[@dr3wster]

If you're an experienced solderer and you're quick, you can solder them (plenty of people do this with no issues)... just be careful.

[@r188ops8]

Hi Andy, you should sell these mate, hint hint, far too fiddly for my eyes and fingers 🤣

[@catalinalb1722]

Hi Andy, this board has no Bluetooth or WiFi connection?

[@andykirby]

Correct.

[@catalinalb1722]

@@andykirby well then you set this in Repeater mode or still on Client mode?

[@markwilliams5654]

I use the 6w solar panel from Amazon

[@andykirby]

👍🏻

[@perkunast9680]

I would like to try this in a bird house, solar on roof and then you cant see the panel from ground. "No one knows its there".

[@steve64464]

I wanted to get into this stuff but then i saw a video sometime back that it was getting banned or something? then there seems to be various versions that uses different frequency's , So i dont know which was best/legal etc ...

[@UsefulClips]

It's not just covert; it's "SUPER covert!" Okay, there's nothing covert about it, but you know, Andy gonna Andy.

[@dafoex]

It's covert enough. I mean who's gonna touch a box bolted to a telegraph pole? Who's gonna even notice it if you put it up a tree? People rarely look up in this day and age.

[@sprint955st]

@@dafoexOpenReach will, with a hammer and a screwdriver

[@martinhyska1206]

5000mah is fake, seems best now are 4000-3500mah real capacity. China sold many repack old batteies, which are less then 2000mah.

[@sprint955st]

And connect with no-one

[@JamesTorrey]

Excellent video. For waterproofing, couldn't you just mount the whole thing upside down?