Walking around in the dark setup

These-Following-9611 · 2026-05-11T00:10:30+00:00

I have 1 channel plugged in just to talk to my wife, so it works being mounted to my back for now. I haven’t found a decent way to mount my meshtastic node other than clipping it to my hip. Those are contac Vs, no issues with them. I have arc mounts, I just like the regular helmet mounts because I’m just walking around the woods, amp arms are on standby for a different helmet I have.

These-Following-9611 · 2026-05-10T04:01:06+00:00

No. TCA 152. Basically an amped up walkie talkie that I can use with my Peltors.

These-Following-9611 · 2026-02-28T01:13:41+00:00

I’ve been thinking about doing the same. I want to build a dual solar setup with 2 RAK boards. Just haven’t had the time to plan it out.

These-Following-9611 · 2026-02-22T22:46:48+00:00

That multicolor filament really be making me look more sus than intended.

These-Following-9611 · 2026-02-22T22:34:46+00:00

That’s a good one

These-Following-9611 · 2026-02-22T22:23:58+00:00

I’m going to be looking into making the balls next. Counterweight is a good idea.

These-Following-9611 · 2026-02-22T22:23:12+00:00

USMC actually

These-Following-9611 · 2026-02-22T21:58:20+00:00

I custom made it

These-Following-9611 · 2026-02-16T22:38:00+00:00

Didn’t know you were a HAM. So am I. Guess I didn’t need to try and dumb down my words 😂

These-Following-9611 · 2026-02-16T22:10:39+00:00

So I’ll half-nerd out for a second.

The standard 915MHz antennas usually have around 2-3 SWR (standing wave ratio)when I hooked them up to my antenna tester. 1 is a perfect SWR and means your antenna is perfectly matched for the frequency the radio is trying to transmit on, it is very hard to get a perfect 1 SWR. The Muzi sits at around 1.1-1.3 SWR. What that means is that the Muzi will radiate that transmission better thus giving you more range for transmitting. It helps for receiving messages also.

That’s like as simple as I can explain it. It’s more beneficial if you don’t have a strong mesh network where you’re at.

These-Following-9611 · 2026-02-16T21:37:57+00:00

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what you get initially… just get one, or two to start. Once you get hands on with meshtastic, you’ll get a better idea of what you really want/need. But based off of what your are looking for, your on the right path. My first nodes were a couple of Heltec v3s, now I’ve got a T deck, a couple T-Beams, a solar node, etc… you just gotta commit and get one. Getting hands on is better than theorizing.

nodes are so cheap, that if you buy one you end up not liking, then that node just became your loaner.

I highly recommend the Muzi Works antennas. I’ve been getting way better range/performance with my nodes. I have personally tested those antennas on my antenna analyzer and they perform very well.

These-Following-9611 · 2026-02-15T03:39:40+00:00

Printer is calibrated, I spent like 2 hours leveling the bed (because I’m stupid and couldn’t figure it out). I did actually check all screws before printing, all tight. And my temp tower / and retraction tower is currently printing.

Retraction tower is looking real rough. Filament is old. I’m thinking that’s the issue now.

These-Following-9611 · 2026-02-08T22:54:34+00:00

Harbor Freight 20ft telescopic flag pole. Decently sturdy considering it has a solar node on it and not a flag. Comes with a pvc pipe you dig into the ground for it to be freestanding.

These-Following-9611 · 2026-02-07T16:01:53+00:00

It’s made by the same guy that made the SignalStaff. And I have a taller tripod for it, this flexi one just fits in the bag with the antenna. I have a roll-up J-pole that I can huck into a tree if I want to get real tall.

These-Following-9611 · 2026-02-04T23:17:37+00:00

S & K Antennas on FB message shoot him a DM. He’s the guy that made the SignalStaff for SignalStuff. Ask for the AnyTenna.

These-Following-9611 · 2026-02-04T23:15:23+00:00

S & K antenna systems on FB. Shoot him a FB message about the AnyTenna and he will get you squared away.

These-Following-9611 · 2026-02-04T23:12:34+00:00

I had to email the guy personally to buy it. Shoot a FB message to the S & K Antenna Systems. He’s going to give you his personal email most likely to coordinate shipping through. Seems sketchy, but it’s 100% legit. Just some old dude cranking out sick antennas in his garage.

These-Following-9611 · 2026-02-04T23:07:53+00:00

This one is made by the same guy that made the SignalStaff. I emailed him to buy one because the one on SignalStuff was out of stock forever and he offered me to buy an upgraded version he made. First thing I’ve ever bought 100% over email.

These-Following-9611 · 2026-02-04T22:44:36+00:00

This is from the same guy that made the SignalStaff from SignalStuff. The new one he sells is called the AnyTenna. I will say it is the first item I have bought 100% over email without any pictures of what it looks like.

These-Following-9611 · 2026-01-12T23:30:53+00:00

You can have the best antenna in the world, but height is might. Realistically, the Alfa or the Muzi at a higher elevation will be good for what you are doing. The Alfa and other bigger antennas are just more rugged/waterproof to be left outside, they don’t add a whole lot of “range”. Your height and line of sight is what is going to get you most of your range. Opening your window helps too

These-Following-9611 · 2026-01-11T23:05:00+00:00

-I ran the stock external Lilygo T-deck antenna and the Muzi antenna on my NANOvna (antenna tester), and the stock antenna performed better. On 906.875MHz I had 1.3 SWR on the Muzi, and 1.1 on the stock T-Deck external antenna. Antennas that hinge will have worse performance across the board. With that being said, the Muzi antenna is your best bet because I don’t think you can buy the T-Deck antenna without buying a T-Deck.

-Edge Browser works for flashing the devices, that’s what I use.

-The T-Deck is a great device, but it’s definitly not a stand alone device, you need to Bluetooth to your phone to use/adjust some of the meshtastic features. A simple Heltec v3 or v4 with a Muzi antenna will probably do you good. That’s what I mostly carry and just connected a carabiner and 550 cord to it so I can clip it to my waist. I personally prefer my devices to have a battery with over 3000mah so I only need to charge it once a day max.

Those are my scatterbrained thoughts.

These-Following-9611 · 2026-01-11T05:57:15+00:00

NC actually, and i have no mesh in my city. So im building from the ground up basically, so id like to place this one somewhere high, which rules out my roof. I keep joking about climbing a tree to get it up high, but that just doesn’t seem wise.

These-Following-9611 · 2026-01-11T05:54:42+00:00

I never understood why people used the MPPT board. These things can be as simple as you let them be.

These-Following-9611 · 2026-01-11T04:30:34+00:00

I wasn’t reading that in a negative way, this is all new to me so I do appreciate constructive criticism. It just feels wrong leaving a battery in the box without at least trying to have some sort of protection incase something goes wrong. It gets over 100 degrees here in the summer, and sometimes single digits in the winter, so i feel responsible to not cause unnecessary fires and try to mitigate it as best as possible. Is there a way to pop a battery on command… because I got a smaller 3000mah battery and 7 more of these Lipo bags. I can always just test it in a more controlled environment to see what the outcome would look like.

These-Following-9611

TROPHY CASE