I’m calling this a “medium priced” node because I didn’t really budget and just bought parts as they became necessary. There are also many examples of cheaper nodes, such as the Low Priced Solar Node (Harbor Breeze). The low cost node depends on the availability of the Harbor Breeze solar lights, whereas this node uses more generic parts that will almost surely be available in the future. For now, here’s a reasonably reliable node that costs around $110 for just the essential parts.

In August 2024 Meshtastic made changes to their official MQTT server due to potential safety issues of third parties tracking and storing user location data. While one of the main Meshtastic node mapping websites meshmap.net continues to rely on the official MQTT server, another popular site meshtastic.liamcottle.net now runs their own separate MQTT server. While MQTT can be leveraged to connect Meshtastic nodes to one another over-the-Internet to bridge separated networks or isolated nodes, many people instead use this feature specifically for contributing to node maps so others can see what nodes may be operating in their area.

Last year I documented the process of upgrading the PM03 Meshtastic node to use a Station G2 and outdoor-rated 5.8 dBi antenna (though it was installed indoors). The hardware used for this installation is: Station G2 Rokland 5.8 dBi Outdoor Antenna Antenna Mount Bracket SMA Antenna Adapter N-Type to SMA Anker USB C Charger with USB C Cable, 20W (2-pack)