Hardware Overview¶
DEVICES · COMPARISON · OFFLINE MAPS
MeshCore supports a wide range of hardware. Devices fall into three categories: Companion Radios (require a smartphone), Standalone Devices (own screen and keyboard), and Repeaters/Servers (extending the network).
[!WARNING] Note: Always check that the device has the correct frequency for Europe (868 MHz, not 915 MHz).
Hardware¶
LilyGO T-Deck Plus — €40–90¶
LilyGO · ESP32-S3 · 2.8" LCD · QWERTY keyboard · GPS · Trackball · SMA connector
- ✓ Fully standalone
- ✓ Physical keyboard
- ✓ GPS, but not on every version
- ✓ External antenna possible
- ✗ Trackball can be sensitive
- ✗ Reset button can be pressed accidentally
Best for: Standalone use without smartphone
Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V3/V4 — €16–32¶
Heltec · ESP32-S3 · SX1262 · 0.96" OLED · WiFi · BLE · V4: 27 dBm TX (to be confirmed)
- ✓ Very affordable
- ✓ Compact, widely supported
- ✓ Suitable as companion and repeater
- ✗ Requires smartphone
- ✗ Small screen, no standard enclosure
Best for: Budget entry with smartphone
RAK WisBlock RAK4631 — €26–38¶
RAKwireless · nRF52840 · Modular system · Extremely low power · Expansion modules
- ✓ Extremely low power consumption (weeks/months on battery)
- ✓ Modular, perfect for solar
- ✓ Professional quality
- ✗ More expensive, no WiFi (BLE only)
- ✗ More complex setup
Best for: Low-power and modular solutions
Seeed Studio T1000-E — €32–42¶
Seeed Studio · nRF52840 · Credit card size · GPS · BLE · Low power
- ✓ Very compact
- ✓ Built-in GPS
- ✓ Low power, robust
- ✗ No display or buttons
- ✗ Requires smartphone for all interaction
Best for: Compact companion radio with GPS
[!NOTE] Chip versus board. This page is about devices. Why the chip inside decides what the device can do — BLE, WiFi, display, OTA, flashing method — is covered in MeshCore Platforms. What each family puts in the chip is covered in The Four Platform Families. All sixty devices from the web flasher, with their figures, are listed in Node Matrix; the prices and specifications below follow that matrix.
Comparison table¶
| Device | Chip | Display | GPS | WiFi | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-Deck Plus | ESP32-S3 | 2.8" LCD | Option | Yes | €40–90 |
| Heltec V3/V4 | ESP32-S3 | 0.96" OLED | No | Yes | €16–32 |
| RAK4631 | nRF52840 | No | Module | No | €26–38 |
| T1000-E | nRF52840 | No | Yes | No | €32–42 |
Offline Maps on T-Deck¶
The T-Deck Plus can display offline maps via a microSD card (max 32 GB, FAT32). Several methods are available:
- Map Tiles Downloader (recommended) — Tool by OM7TEK via
pipx install mt-downloader - tdeck-maps script — Python script for specific cities/regions
- Ready-made maps — Available via buymeacoffee.com/ripplebiz
[!NOTE] Tip: Start with zoom level 8–12 for a good balance between detail and storage space. Deeper zoom (13+) requires an Ultra licence. The SD card must be inserted before powering on the T-Deck.
Translated from Dutch by Anthropic Claude