RAKwireless WisBlock Meshtastic Starter Kit US915 Base RAK19007 + Core RAK4631

Impressive little piece of tech.When compared with the Heltec, this consumed 260ma over about 6 hrs while the Heltec used ~2000+.This thing is super power efficient and the design is top notch. The ease of adding new modules makes this a win for those looking to make weather stations etc.Blew the base board by connecting a power supply that was incorrectly labeled. Luckily the LoRa module was fine and was able to order a new base board for about $15 shipped. Easy to flash for meshtastic and works great with a 3-4kmah battery. (lasts about 30+ days on a single charge with 20-40% usage)Used this for a solar node and was a breeze to set up.

Had the urge to do some DIY radio stuff and decided to check out Meshtastic. There are basically two controllers used for those devices, ESP32 and nrf52. This board uses nrf52. ESP32 is a bit of a power hog whereas the nrf52 is the complete opposite. Excellent for mobile use where power is a key factor. The RAK 19007 board acts as a motherboard for IoT devices and then you snap on modules to add the functionality you want for your project. This kit includes the 4630 (Bluetooth 5 and SX1262 LoRa radio) and 4631 (nrf52840 MCU) core module and then you can add others as needed in various positions that snap into place. Certain modules need to go in certain positions so be sure to consult the RAK Wireless site for details on the modules you're planning to use for compatibility with each other space-wise. For my project I chose the 12500 GNSS (GPS) receiver and will probably add a couple more. The modules usually run around $15-25 each so pretty cheap to tinker with.Setting up for Meshtastic was easy, just attach the antennas (DO THIS BEFORE POWERING ON!!! You can damage the transceiver if you do not attach the antennas prior to power on!!!), plug into your computer via USB-C, go to the Meshtastic Flash site pick the device, image version and COM port it's connected to and drop the file you download into the drive that appears, boom! It'll reboot and you're up and running!The great appeal of this kit is in the nrf52 very low power draw and customization you get with the modules. Also these include an on-board solar charge controller to charge a 3.7v LiPo battery from a solar panel! There are other base boards you can choose that take up less room or have more base features on them for expansion capabilities (Browse the RAK website for more details).These are priced a bit over what you can get them directly from China for but not really that much and you'll get them a LOT faster. Once you consider the time delay and shipping charges from China it's a fair trade I think provided they're available. I'd like to see the modules offered on Amazon as it's a pain tracking things down from various vendors. Hopefully more sellers will consider stocking the modules. If you have an IoT project you want to try out or want to try Meshtastic or other projects that support this board and use LoRa I'd recommend these, very happy with mine so far!

This WisBlock Meshtastic starter kit delivers on its promise as a solid foundation for LoRa mesh networking projects. The combination of the RAK19007 base and RAK4631 core module makes for a powerful yet accessible platform. Initial setup was straightforward - the pre-soldered headers meant I could start building immediately without breaking out the soldering iron.The US915 frequency band provides excellent range in my semi-rural testing environment. I've achieved reliable communication over 2km with line of sight, and reasonable performance even with some obstacles. The Nordic nRF52840 processor on the RAK4631 handles Meshtastic firmware smoothly, and the integrated LoRa radio performs consistently.Battery management is well-implemented, with the base board providing clean power regulation and USB-C connectivity. The modular WisBlock architecture proves its worth when you want to expand - I've added environmental sensors to create a small weather mesh network. The included antenna is adequate for testing, though serious deployments might benefit from a higher-gain option.Documentation could be more comprehensive for beginners, but the active Meshtastic community makes up for this. While not the cheapest entry point into LoRa development, the build quality and expandability justify the investment. For anyone looking to explore mesh networking or build a long-range communication system, this kit provides a reliable foundation with room to grow.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Works exactly like it should, good price ($34) for a modular and power efficient board. Fits in a 10$ diy solar panel enclosure.

I've purchased quite a few of these. I like the low-power consumption and small size. The 50mm stubby LORA antenna that comes with it is NOT for 915Mhz. Checking with a Nano VNA, they are tuned to around 830-860Mhz. I would definitely recommend the 10Dbi whip ( https://amzn.to/4kxf5qt ). I have had a couple of units that did not perform well (transmission distance). I swapped out the antenna cable and antenna without improvement. Normally I get 1-2miles in suburbia. I returned the marginal units. Not sure what was wrong with them.

Compared to the Cheaper Heltec V3 the WisBlock offers a lot more features and overall a better Meshtastic experience. Still cost effective but gives you room to grow thanks to the option of modules. And with the nRF52840 chip this thing SIPS power compared to the ESP32 Heltecs. Overall, a great companion for Meshtastic. Especially if your doing a deployment over solar or need maximum battery life.

All in all very good kit. Good range and easy setup. I liked it better than the Heltec V3 I already had. Super simple setup. Looking forward to low power drain in a solar powered setup.Pros: Worked out of the box. Nice collection of parts 3 Antenna! Way better range on Bluetooth than the Heltec V3. More responsive to commands than the V3.Cons: The RAK needed to be reflashed after 2 days. (BLE locked up and wouldn't connect). Build quality seems fine but the Reset switch fell off ! (I had to short the pads with a small screwdriver) Battery and solar connectors would be nice to include too.