Pseudonymous self-described Web of Issues (IoT) fanatic “Tavis” has discovered a low-cost approach of deploying solar-powered weatherproof Meshtastic LoRa nodes round his property: by making use of low-cost Harbor Breeze photo voltaic LED floodlights.
“The Harbor Breeze Photo voltaic LED Gentle may be bought for about $15 and features a succesful photo voltaic panel, lithium ion cell, and cost controller in a water-proof enclosure,” Tavis explains of the {hardware} base to the mission. “The RAK[wireless WisBlock] baseboards match completely contained in the photo voltaic compartment [to create] a totally weatherproof photo voltaic powered Meshtastic node.”
An off-the-shelf backyard gentle and a few intelligent hacking supply a low-cost weatherproof housing for solar-powered Meshtastic nodes. (📷: Tavis)
Meshtastic is the identify given to an open-source mesh networking platform designed to run on low-cost low-power gadgets, resembling RAKwireless’ WisBlock vary. Speaking between gadgets over LoRa radio, any given node can speak to any given node — and if you happen to’re out of vary of your goal node, the nodes in between will act as repeaters to verify your sign will get to the place it must go.
This makes for a simple solution to deploy wide-area sensor networks with bidirectional communication, however you continue to want energy — and, for out of doors use, weatherproofing. That is the place the Harbor Breeze lights are available: obtainable for a lot the identical price as a good mission housing, the lights already embrace a battery and a photo voltaic panel able to driving a Meshtastic node in a pre-weatherproofed housing.
The RAKwireless WisBlock board, and elective sensors, match completely within the present housing. (📷: Tavis)
“Some soldering is required in addition to drilling a gap within the plastic case,” Tavis says of the abilities required to hold out the conversion. “Gadgets wanted: an IPEX to SMA pigtail is required so as to have an exterior antenna. A JST-PHR-2 connector is required if you need a plug-in sort battery connection. Soldered connection may even work although. Sealing glue (silicone or marine sealant).”
Tavis’ full mission write-up is offered on Hackaday.io.
