RAKwireless WisBlock Meshtastic Starter Kit US915 Base RAK19007 + Core RAK4631

Just received this today, so not a lot of use yet. I've spent the last few weeks playing with Meshtastic on Heltec (V3, T190, E213) nodes. This one joined my mesh and has been perfectly behaved for the last few hours.This is my first node without a screen. So there is no place to display the BLE PIN. The Meshtastic Android app suggested 4 digit PINs do not work but "123456" does. As noted in the product discription the software version is often behind. Mine shipped with firmware 2.5.5, and I've been flashing 2.5.15. Old software version sound like a gripe, but I think it's great they ship with Meshtastic (Heltec does not).Each of my Heltec MCUs came with a battery lead. I purchased batteries for the connector that Heltec uses. This MCU carrier board takes different sized battery connector. So I'll need to: by the connector, or new batteries, or a converter. A battery connector would have saved me some of that trouble.Because the USB A to C cable wasn't pictured, I was surprised to get one. The description clearly states the kit comes with one. For some people this could be "the thing" they needed. For me it's just another USB data cable, and I could really use a "battery connector".The rubber antenna is different that the Heltec OEM and any of the after market ones I've purchased. There is also a second LoRa circuit board antenna. It was nice they provided two. The BLE circuit board antenna has double sided tape on the back, the LoRa circuit board does not. A nice touch if you building out a self contained case. Both circuit board antennas have stickers indicating LoRa and BLE. It would be nicer if the PCB silkscreens had less RAK advertising and had "LoRa 915" and "BLE" silk screened on them prominently.I really like ESP32-S3 hardware, but the power draw and capabilities of this RAK unit compelled me to make the jump to this MCU. Assuming it is what everyone says, it is the best choice for my hill top solar node.Planning to utilize the $15 Lowes solar spotlight (as seen on the Meshtastic website) as my hilltop case. I like to test things, so I'll run this guy through testing before I deploy it. It'll be nice to see what I does with various antennas.If it meets the hype I'll certainly buy more of these.

I never even imagined that I would be receiving signals for miles away from me but I am.This little thing is crazy fun! I just tossed this in my cart and left it in the bag for a week or so. Got it setup on my phone and my PC. I used the little rubber ducky antenna on some very low loss coax and positioned it about a foot above my roof and then I started getting signals from Tennessee and I live in Georgia. And I'm also receiving other nodes all in my state.I didn't receive anything when using the antenna inside but since it's now outside it made all the difference! It's very easy to setup but I'm a little sad that Amazon doesn't have extra modules for this device. All I have found is the outdoor antenna, LCD and GPS all of which I will be ordering but they should have more things available such as a case, different sensors and a dedicated battery, the solar panel would be nice to have as well.This device has really surprised me. It reminds me of the old school chat rooms except for this is actually pretty secret lol.

A reliable, well supported older LORA board system that can be configured in various ways to reduce current draw - Making it a good choice for a solar powered application. RAK has moved along and their current board is half the size.

Impressive little piece of tech.When compared with the Heltec, this consumed 260ma over about 6 hrs while the Heltec used ~2000+.This thing is super power efficient and the design is top notch. The ease of adding new modules makes this a win for those looking to make weather stations etc.Blew the base board by connecting a power supply that was incorrectly labeled. Luckily the LoRa module was fine and was able to order a new base board for about $15 shipped. Easy to flash for meshtastic and works great with a 3-4kmah battery. (lasts about 30+ days on a single charge with 20-40% usage)Used this for a solar node and was a breeze to set up.

If you’re looking to get into Meshtastic or similar projects, this is the board to go with. It’s not the cheapest, but it’s the simplest to get up and going and uses far less power than esp based boards like the very popular Heltec V3. If you require a display or other capabilities, the non-mini version of this is a bit more modular. However, this does support adding a GPS module. Low power and reliability was my primary reason for making the switch to an nrf based board.

I've purchased quite a few of these. I like the low-power consumption and small size. The 50mm stubby LORA antenna that comes with it is NOT for 915Mhz. Checking with a Nano VNA, they are tuned to around 830-860Mhz. I would definitely recommend the 10Dbi whip ( https://amzn.to/4kxf5qt ). I have had a couple of units that did not perform well (transmission distance). I swapped out the antenna cable and antenna without improvement. Normally I get 1-2miles in suburbia. I returned the marginal units. Not sure what was wrong with them.

it has everything clearly labeled and easy to put together. Thanks Rak Wireless!

The description is accurate and this board has lots of 3rd party experiments/notes - first try to get it online went without a hitch.