cross-posted from: https://lemmy.radio/post/3984948
Make your own Meshtastic LoRa Node with our easy DIY guide. A complete step-by-step for building your customized mesh communication system
The rest is less than 15$ but you do have to order it off AliExpress. It’s more time as well so if you take it into account, I guess it comes out similar.
I would add that anybody with the know-how to build this probably already has an esp32 on hand so really only the cost of the other components should be calculated. But that cuts both ways since your example is a lot more beginner friendly and comes in a neat package with more features.
The rest of what? You gonna make your own PCB? LORA radio? Battery? Display? Buttons? Antenna?
There’s a parts list to the project, it uses modules mostly it seems.
That being said, a PCB isn’t very costly when ordered from China. All the parts you mentioned aren’t expensive if it’s to go on a PCB, a lora chip is like 3 bucks for a good one if I remember well. A lot more skill involved though and not really what I meant in any case.
