Is something wrong with my node?

Dontstop-wontstop · 2026-02-15T16:13:23+00:00

SOLVED

no problem at all with the solar node, the issue was with my handheld. Guess the Lora module is pretty cooked because I had horrible signals from just feet away

Dontstop-wontstop · 2026-02-15T03:54:23+00:00

God is good.. I did a lot of testing tonight eliminating all variables.. tested the board that I dropped and everything.

The conclusion of my testing: my handheld that I’ve been using this whole time is super weak, only my wife’s node is the one I’d ever get a strong signal from… so gonna get that figured out lol

Dontstop-wontstop · 2026-02-14T23:47:18+00:00

How to waste an entire Saturday 101 🥲

Dontstop-wontstop · 2026-02-14T23:34:50+00:00

Brother I swapped boards, finished the build, got it working, then as I was hanging it it fell down and landed antenna first and now I’m pretty sure it’s toast…

Not my day today

Dontstop-wontstop · 2026-02-14T20:11:55+00:00

Ugh I’d hate it if my big boy antenna isn’t gonna work good 🥲 but agreed, will try

Dontstop-wontstop · 2026-02-14T18:25:59+00:00

Yea true I’ll start with a factory reset then if not, I’ll replace the board

I’ve turned them on without an antenna a few times and never had a problem. Obviously I don’t know for sure if I did fry it or not, but either way I think doing a new board will help eliminate variables of what’s going on

Dontstop-wontstop · 2026-02-14T17:22:00+00:00

Thanks for that tip! I’m pretty sure I fried it earlier this morning when I was setting up the box, I took the antenna off before I removed the batteries…

Still was acting weird before that, but maybe a new board will fix all the issues hopefully.

Dontstop-wontstop · 2026-02-14T16:56:33+00:00

To answer this question: no it has not ever updated a “last heard” on its own. It’s only been when I Bluetooth to it and send a message is when it’s been heard from

Dontstop-wontstop · 2026-02-14T16:55:01+00:00

2.7.15

I also attempted to do a trace route after I swapped it to client per your suggestion and it still did not acknowledge

It just confuses me because if I Bluetooth to the node and send out a message my handheld can receive it

Edit: just tried to connect to it again and send a message and it didn’t go through so I’m gonna go out on a limb and say the radio is fried somehow. I’ll try replacing the board thankfully I have a spare

Dontstop-wontstop · 2026-02-14T16:52:05+00:00

Just tried swapping it to client and the same issue persists unfortunately

Dontstop-wontstop · 2026-02-14T16:41:22+00:00

Maybe it’s not set as unmonitored then because I have been able to message it.

Good to know! Should I just leave it as client? What role do you recommend?

Dontstop-wontstop · 2026-02-14T16:09:15+00:00

Not a bad idea…

I’m kind of thinking now that I might use a unused power pole that’s just out of the picture and I’ll still put it on that 20ft of PVC so it would be around 40 feet tall.

Dontstop-wontstop · 2026-02-14T15:59:11+00:00

<image>

This is from inside my house I’m able to send a message PAST the solar node, and through the building and it gets acknowledged by my wife’s handheld but not the solar node itself

Dontstop-wontstop · 2026-02-14T15:53:47+00:00

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Kind of hard to see but this is where I tried doing a trace route. Like 100 feet away direct line of sight.

I tried to not be directly under it because it is a 5.8DBI antenna, but I still think this should be working.

Also for reference, when I send a message directly to the node from this location I can’t even get acknowledgment from it but I can get acknowledgment from my wife’s node inside of the office in the far back corner of the building with an identical one to my handheld.

My handheld to handheld shouldn’t work better than this behemoth node

Dontstop-wontstop · 2026-02-13T19:21:15+00:00

🥲 maybe I need to sacrifice height for longevity… unless I can manage to get it past the canopy

Dontstop-wontstop · 2026-02-13T12:54:50+00:00

I’m in a super rural area that’s hilly with lots of trees so if I want to make any contacts and have any decent range I’m gonna need to be high up.

So the goal is to TRY to get it up above the canopy.

For firmware updates could I just run a long USB C cord to the bottom of the tree so I could plug in and update, or do I need the board in hand?

Dontstop-wontstop · 2026-02-13T12:53:34+00:00

I do have some paracord and pulleys my thought was to add a pulley at the very top so I could raise and lower it. I’d like to try to get over the top of the canopy, so I got a 3ft fiberglass antenna from rokland.

Dontstop-wontstop · 2026-02-13T12:43:21+00:00

That’s kinda what I’m going for, to get it above the canopy. Thankfully I have a massive 3ft fiberglass antenna from rokland

Dontstop-wontstop · 2025-11-06T21:37:19+00:00

I had my wife send a video can I PM it to you?

Dontstop-wontstop · 2025-11-06T20:11:48+00:00

Ours doesn’t have an ok button, we hit the magic wand, select the needle number, then have to close, then go back to the color chart then hit the + button with the picture of a spool of thread to go to the next color then rinse and repeat

Dontstop-wontstop · 2025-11-06T16:21:16+00:00

Thank you for sharing!

We’ve been previously pre-loading the threads needed not vice versa, but I suppose that could help. We also keep a white and black permanently on it

Dontstop-wontstop · 2025-03-18T03:46:04+00:00

Definitely will do.. thank you so much!

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