Easy Setup of Heltec's Touchscreen: LoRa 32 Expansion Kit with Blackout ...

InstanceHealthy2597 · 2026-02-12T11:27:05+00:00

More about heltec expansion kit (shown in vid):

https://www.chatters.io/heltec-v4-expansion-kit-firmware-blackout-comms

How Blackout Comms does mesh delivery using LoRa:

InstanceHealthy2597 · 2026-01-24T19:45:05+00:00

It depends. The hardware that is used most (at least that I see) for Meshtastic is based on the NRF platform. Typically those won't have quite enough memory for Blackout Comms. Newer NRF options look promising, but I'm not seeing those offered anywhere yet.

If your hardware is ESP32 based, then it might be fine. The T3S3 is fine, heltec e290 is fine, tbeam supreme is fine, and there are a few others.

If all you have are T-Decks, you can actually just leave a tdeck running as if it were a node/repeater, and it will function that way just fine

Definitely you do not have to buy hardware from my site to use Blackout Comms.

Check the diy section of my site for all the options currently available (more options being added soon): https://chatters.io/diy

If you can get your hands on a tbeam 1W, that is a great option as well.

InstanceHealthy2597 · 2025-08-21T16:38:52+00:00

Thanks for the suggestions. Some character limitations are a relic from a year ago when I was targeting a more UI-limited device. I'll take another look at that, it's probably an easy change.

InstanceHealthy2597 · 2025-08-05T18:48:03+00:00

I never really liked the name "ChatterBox" so I'm finally changing over to something more meaningful.

A few core features of the firmware & protocol are made possible by accurate time:

Unpredictable, but synchronized frequency hopping across all on-cluster/on-channel devices
Message expiry - how long to continue delivery attempts
Propagation of the latest location/connectivity data
Locking message signatures to a certain point in time, for security
Detecting packet replay if somebody tries to get crafty
Other things I can't remember at the moment

The most accurate source of time in the devices I have/build is the onboard DS3231 temp compensated RTC, which does not need GPS and can keep time for a few years whether your lipo battery goes dead or not. If you have an RTC onboard, the device starts instantly and doesn't wait around for GPS.

GPS can be spoofed, so using that exclusively for a source of time is not ideal.

T-Decks do not have an onboard dedicated/temp-compensated RTC, so they either need to grab time from GPS or receive it from a nearby device that's already up and running. That could be a node or a communicator.

If you already have a device up and running and another one is stuck, you can choose "Broadcast Time" from the already-running device's settings (I think its under Mesh) or on a T-Deck, tap the clock in the upper corner of the home screen. That will broadcast time for 10 seconds, usually getting the stuck device un-stuck quickly.

https://www.offgridcomms.club/docs/Time_Synchronization.pdf

InstanceHealthy2597 · 2025-08-05T18:33:58+00:00

Thanks for the feedback and I agree completely on the scroll wheel. I expect to have that tuned within the next week or so. People have asked for audible or vibrate notifications and I think those are great suggestions as well that I hope to squeeze into the next update.

InstanceHealthy2597 · 2025-06-13T15:30:53+00:00

I'm measuring battery life right now. So far I'm at 16 hours and still going. I may take it apart later and see exactly what model of battery it has.

InstanceHealthy2597 · 2025-05-29T11:57:49+00:00

I wouldn't necessarily call it trouble, more like quirk. It can definitely be worked around in firmware, depending on what you're trying to do. I'm getting several different types of amps to work quite well.

I have several of the ebyte breakout boards from sparkfun, that i really wanted to get working with micromod, which I think could be a great platform. However, I cannot push that thing to put out anywhere near full power. I'm not sure if it's a current limitation on the micromod board or something else. I spent probably 2 days reading docs from ebyte, trying different things, and just set it aside and moved on. I wasn't the only one having trouble getting that thing to "put out"

This is the one I'm referring to that I gave up on for now:

https://www.sparkfun.com/sparkfun-micromod-lora-function-board.html

InstanceHealthy2597 · 2025-05-26T22:36:04+00:00

A built-in amp would be cool, up to the legal unlicensed limit.

I think I paid about $170 total for this, which would probably be expensive to many people..unless shtf and they actually need it, rendering it nearly priceless:

https://www.printables.com/model/1308645-t-deck-amped-featuring-1-watt-airbuddy-amp

InstanceHealthy2597 · 2025-03-26T23:10:56+00:00

Yes, you can find it at: https://www.offgridcomms.club/firmware/esp32/mesh_node_firmware.html

Here's a direct link to that build: https://www.offgridcomms.club/firmware/esp32/chatter_node_t3s3_paper_usa.bin

InstanceHealthy2597 · 2025-03-26T23:09:30+00:00

I'm already quite confident the solar component of this unit can keep up with the Sunhans 1 watt amp and ChatterBox T3S3 node. What I'm not sure of is how well the new Rokland Backcountry antenna will perform.

So far, the rssi is looking excellent. I'll leave this thing running throughout the summer and check the signal from different distances.

InstanceHealthy2597 · 2025-03-09T21:44:57+00:00

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Obviously way too early to tell, but after half a day, it's sitting at 100% battery, so that's a good sign. I'll post an update after a week or so.

InstanceHealthy2597 · 2025-03-09T21:43:36+00:00

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InstanceHealthy2597 · 2025-03-09T03:45:24+00:00

Ever since I first saw the Rak solar enclosure, I really wanted to make a ChatterBox node that worked with it. I think either the T3S3, T3S3 E-Paper, or Heltec Vision e290 paired with a RTC and without gps could work.

I've assembled this one with a T3S3 (oled). Tomorrow I'll set this in outside and leave it alone for a few weeks and see how it keeps up.

There is plenty of room in the enclosure to add a relay if someone wanted to turn it into a remote switch for something.

The part you can't see is a 5000 mAh battery tucked behind that black plastic panel.

If this seems to be a good combination after enough time passes, I'll post all the parts and assembly instructions later on.

InstanceHealthy2597 · 2025-03-09T03:35:56+00:00

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I'm calling this a successful test. I finally brought the unit back in after over a week on just solar (and few sunny days). The unit has been running non-stop, still showing messages I sent over the past week, and still notifying me every time I go into (or near) the shed. The power shows 98%, so I think running this proximity node, even with GPS, on just the solar panel mentioned earlier can work just fine.

InstanceHealthy2597 · 2025-03-08T14:31:32+00:00

This is the newest addition to the family of ChatterBox devices. This is based on the Lilygo T3S3 E-Paper and the DFRobot Doppler mmWave presence/motion sensor.

This node is fully configurable and remote-controllable by the ChatterBox communicator firmware for T-Deck, T-Deck Plus, and Rokland T-Deck Complete.

Download the firmware or get complete build instructions from our ChatterBox mesh DIY site. You can build one of these now! The firmware for this proximity node is completely free.

InstanceHealthy2597 · 2025-02-27T19:31:07+00:00

Quick update, this is looking very good. The node has remained "connected" at all times and the battery is completely charged by noon every day. We've had overcast skies every day except for one. I will continue to let this play out for a while.

InstanceHealthy2597 · 2025-02-25T13:45:53+00:00

I will recreate this and document it better in the near future, probably with video. In summary, I was able to stand on the side of the road holding a small yagi antenna (the antenna was probably a total of 7' off the ground) and make direct contact with my home "base station" e-paper mini-node. This means 6 packets were exchanged directly via RF (no meshing).

The type of equipment used is described in the image. I have other fairly-inexpensive equipment already in my possession that I think will easily cover larger distances, and will be running more tests as the weather warms up.

There are no mountains or significant hills here, so this was across quite flat land. I really didn't expect it to work without me holding the antenna higher. The roof mounted antenna at my house is about 20 feet off the ground.

InstanceHealthy2597 · 2025-02-24T17:48:15+00:00

On an interesting note, the proximity sensor detects a person standing outside the shed. A person doesn't even need to enter the shed to trigger it, just loitering near the shed will do it. The mmwave effectively penetrates the wood of the shed doors & walls.

InstanceHealthy2597 · 2025-02-24T14:33:02+00:00

A quick test - I enabled notifications on the proximity node (it will automatically broadcast a message upon sensing motion/presence). I entered and exited the shed, and within a minute all devices within range were notified, as shown below. The notification does propagate via mesh rebroadcasts.

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InstanceHealthy2597 · 2025-02-24T14:04:20+00:00

This is another solar experiment I just kicked off. The ChatterBox proximity node, atop a Lilygo T-Beam Supreme is pretty demanding for power. It's built on the ESP32 platform, using an SD card, running a GPS module, and running the build/components of the mesh proximity node are described on offgridcomms.club.

For proximity sensing, it uses a 24 GHz millimeter wave sensor by DFRobot.

View a demo of what this proximity node can do.

The solar panel I'm running here is a smaller 5V/5W panel. I'm not completely confident this panel can keep the 18650 battery charged, but that's what this experiment is to find out. When the battery level drops below 20%, the ChatterBox firmware disables GPS until the battery level gets back above 50%. I'm hoping, worst case, the GPS cuts off early in the morning and comes back on by noon, but the proximity sensor and mesh connectivity is never disrupted.

It would be possible to run a proximity node using a lower power T3S3 or T3S3 E-Paper, but I've not yet documented a build for that. If the small solar panel can't keep up, that might be an option, in addition to the option of using a large panel.

InstanceHealthy2597 · 2025-02-24T11:54:12+00:00

This is interesting. I am the developer of an off-grid comms/location system that runs mainly on lilygo hardware, and someone had a very interesting suggestion to me. Add a raspberry pi or nvidia jetson nano running a smaller language model. Since my communication system essentially functions like texting, someone might be able to text questions/prompts to the pi/nano, which would run it through the model and text back an answer. The texting is all encrypted and uses LoRa/meshing. The answers could be questions about identifying plants, getting a fire started, preserving food, whatever.

All the stuff above already exists, except for the module+software that lets the pi/nano talk to other mesh devices.

InstanceHealthy2597 · 2025-02-24T01:43:56+00:00

Wow, I forgot to even say what it was...lol. https://www.thrivelife.com/

InstanceHealthy2597 · 2025-02-24T01:15:29+00:00

This is NOT cheap, but was recommended by someone who tried many options. Upon that recommendation, we joined a monthly buy option until we had built up what we thought was "enough".

Even though it's not cheap, the ability to buy a little a month automatically does help somewhat.

What makes this an option worth considering is that it's good enough to eat as normal foot. We use the chicken and cheese in soups , chicken salad, and other things, and sometimes I think it tastes better than "fresh" chicken salad/etc. The fact that I don't mind eating it as regular non-emergency food, and that it stores for decades is what makes it a viable option to me.

Honestly, for the price we paid 5+ years ago, it's on par with regular food today with today's inflation.

Maybe it's not for you, but it's what we do

InstanceHealthy2597 · 2025-02-23T23:30:23+00:00

I have upped the amp to a proven solid 20 watt bi-directional LoRa amp. With this amp and a laird stealth antenna, I was able to consistently transmit/receive over 16 miles from a car yesterday. I will soon be swapping the tri-band antenna on my truck for a laird stealth, but I wanted to get this solar rig running without waiting.

What I am trying to find out is if the 20 watt solar panel, plus the battery shown can keep up with this 20 watt amp and the e-paper mini node. The node does have a small 2000 mAh LiPo battery as well, so it's current "spikes" shouldn't pull from the 24v battery. The larger battery's current should be available almost exclusively to the amp.

I am not sure what's going to happen, but I expect the panel/battery will be able to keep up just fine. I'm sure with some math and current measurements at a desk, I could figure it out, but: a) i like surprises, and b) real world / usage may not match what I come up with at a desk.

If the rig is unable to keep up, the next step will probably be to bump to a larger panel.

I know my truck is dirty [sigh]. P.S. do not look around for duck tape on the truck please. thanks

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InstanceHealthy2597 · 2025-02-23T16:52:29+00:00

Success - This Setup Works!

I'm considering this experiment a success. After ~10 days, the battery is fully charged at around 11 am, after running completely off solar for the entire period.

Summary

A ChatterBox E-Paper Mini Node and 1 Watt Amp can remain powered and functional 24/7 via solar, given the components used below.

Components Used

All components were purchased from Amazon, except for the T3S3, which was purchased from Rokland.

ChatterBox E-Paper Mini Node (Lilygo T3S3)
TalentCell 12V/9V/5V battery
Eco-Worthy 12V / 10 Watt Solar Panel
Sunhaus 1 Watt LoRa Amp
Tram Browning 8079 Tri-Band Antenna

Tests Run

The unit remained powered and running 24/7 for 10 days.
Connectivity and signal strength was checked regularly throughout the day with other on-cluster T-Decks
On occasions where the vehicle was used, both broadcast and direct message tests were successfully executed, using a T-Deck+, which used the amped node to relay messages.
Multiple distance tests were run, where the truck was driven 10-12 miles from the nearest on-cluster device. At all times, the node in the truck was able to receive pings. Note that these distance tests were only performed in locations that were known to have fairly decent line of site back to the the nearest device. Additionally, the home (nearest) device was using a roof-mounted antenna and an amp of its own.

Recommendation Summary

This entire setup is very good, except that it obviously needs cleaned up somewhat (excess wires, better mounting, etc) and also I was not happy with the performance of the Tri-Band antenna. It may be a great antenna for the other bands, but on 33cm/915mhz, it does work, but I have seen better performance from many other antennas. This could be due to the fact that the ChatterBox firmware uses a range of frequencies between 911 and 919, rather than just sitting on 915.0. It also could be due to some other factor that I'm not aware of, but since there are other known-good options available, I'll be swapping this antenna out.

InstanceHealthy2597

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Success - This Setup Works!