MeshCore runs on a wide range of cheap LoRa boards for the EU 868 MHz band. This overview lists the devices most commonly used in Austria with price, strengths and use case.
Companion boards (mobile, paired to a phone)
- Heltec LoRa 32 V3 — ESP32-S3 with OLED display and battery connector. €25–35. Compact, cheap, ideal entry point. Battery life with 1000 mAh: roughly 1–2 days.
- LilyGo T-Beam SUPREME — ESP32-S3 with GPS, OLED, battery. €50–70. Great for mobile nodes and trackers (bike, car).
- LilyGo T-Echo — Nordic nRF52840 with e-paper display. €70–90. Very long battery life (weeks rather than days), but no WiFi.
Repeater boards (stationary)
- RAK19007 + RAK4630 — Modular system with Nordic nRF52840. €50–80. First choice for autonomous solar repeaters thanks to lowest power draw.
- RAK4631 — Compact RAK4630 variant, suitable for repeaters or companions.
- Heltec WSL V3 — cheap repeater option, ESP32-based. Hungrier than the RAK line.
Antennas
The stock whips bundled with most boards are a compromise. For serious range:
- Companion (mobile): rigid 3–5 dBi whip, SMA-female to board, ~€10
- Repeater (roof/mast): fibreglass vertical 6–8 dBi (~1 m), N connector with adapter, €80–150
- Point-to-point: Yagi 9–13 dBi, directional, €100–200
Where to buy
Most boards ship direct from the manufacturers (Heltec, RAK Wireless, LilyGo) as well as AliExpress, Pimoroni, Eckstein, Welectron and Reichelt. Make sure to pick the 868 MHz variant — 433 MHz and 915 MHz are not legal in Austria.
Flashing
All boards listed here can be flashed in minutes with the official online flasher or our WiFi flasher.
For setup instructions see Android, iPhone or repeater setup.