Freq51 DIY Meshtastic Node

What’s in the kit (and why we picked it)

Core radio + MCU

• Seeed Studio XIAO nRF52840 + Wio-SX1262 LoRa module
  Compact BLE-capable microcontroller that’s widely supported and easy to work with. This is low power and great for solar builds. SX1262-based radio module commonly used for Meshtastic builds.

RF: antenna + filtering

• Ebyte TX915-JZLW-15 50Ω 3dBi 165mm 915MHz Antenna
  Simple, compact antenna that works well for small enclosures and portable builds.
  If you want to make any upgrades to the build yourself, this is the part to upgrade!
• Murata 91 ceramic filter (board by wehooper4)
  Added RF filtering to help reduce unwanted energy outside the band and improve how the node “plays nice” in noisy environments. This is a nice filter.

Solar + charging

• Soshine 5V / 6W solar panel (USB output)
  A solid little panel for keeping the 18650 charged. This is over powered for this deployment. It has been tested even in the sub-optimal vertical orientation for 2 Utah winters and has kept POTM fully charged year round.
• 1A 18650 charge controller board (4.2V / 3.7V)
  Handles solar-to-cell charging.

Battery pack + protection

• 4× recycled 18650 cells
  Sourced in bulk from a battery recycler to keep kit cost down. These have all been tested and their capacity each sits at about 2800mAh.
• BMS protection board
  Protects the pack against common failure modes (overcharge/overdischarge/overcurrent depending on model).
• Nickel strip + connector/wire set
  Build for 2x2 packs and will make for building a clean pack.

Battery safety storage

• Fire-safe battery bag (Sunnylife LiPo safe bag)
  A small, practical layer of safety for charging/storage and transporting packs to build nights.

Enclosure + build hardware

• 150×100×70mm ABS/NEMA-style enclosure
  Just enough room for the full build, easy to mount, durable, and very water resistant. We couldn't have picked a better sized enclosure.
• 22 AWG plug connectors.
  Makes the wiring build repeatable and repairable (you can swap parts without re-soldering everything).
• Adhesives / sealing consumables (UV resin + Permatex)
  Used for strain relief and keeping things stable inside the box, especially for portable deployments.

“What do I need to bring?”

We provide the parts and build steps. For build nights we also provide tools (crimpers, soldering iron, etc.).

• A phone with the Meshtastic app installed (Android/iOS)
• Optional: A soldering iron (so you don't have to share with others)
• Questions + curiosity

Small but important note: battery safety + recycled cells

This kit uses recycled 18650 cells to keep costs low and make it easier to get more nodes deployed. That also means capacity and internal resistance can vary from pack to pack.

We take battery safety seriously:

• We include battery protection (BMS) and a proper charge controller in the build.
• We include a fire-safe battery bag for safer storage/transport.
• We’ll share best practices at build night for inspecting cells, matching sets, and assembling packs safely.

If you’re not comfortable working with lithium cells, come to build night—someone can walk you through it. As always: don’t charge unattended, don’t use damaged cells, and retire anything that gets hot, swells, or behaves oddly.