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Recommendations for Vehicle Nodes? (mander.xyz)

submitted 4 weeks ago by AlchemicalAgent@mander.xyz to c/meshtastic@mander.xyz

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I've been brainstorming ways to get a permanent node on my truck for various reasons. Here's what I have so far:

Hard-wired for power. The vehicle battery is pretty large, and I have a solar-maintainer installed with enough power left over to run a node.
GPS module for tracking
External antenna (915 MHz). I already have cargo racks on the truck bed so plenty of space to attach a mount.

Unfortunately I haven't found much in the way of hardware guides. Initially I figured a 33 cm ham antenna would be perfect but haven't seen much available. For the node itself I was looking at either a heltec tracker or a Wisblock with location module. Anyone suggestions?

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[–] wesker@lemmy.sdf.org 9 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (2 children)

There are USB C hardwire kits for dash cams that have a timer on them, as well as a low voltage shutoff. I bought the same one I use for my Vantrue N4 cam for this purpose.

I went with a LILYGO T-Echo as my LoRa unit. This was my choice so I could also grab the unit and put it in my pocket, if ever in an emergency and need to hoof it.

After researching fixed antennas, and also how much degradation there is the longer you run the coax between the low power unit and the antenna, I opted out. Instead I went with a highly rated and tested Gizont whip antenna directly on the unit.

[–] AlchemicalAgent@mander.xyz 3 points 4 weeks ago

Ah, interesting. I have USB hardwire kits for my dashcam but they're not on a timer. I've seen the T-Echo, definitely something I'll be purchasing in the future. I'm carrying a T-1000E right now.

[–] 3holly3@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 week ago

I’m brainwaving a vehicle setup too, so here’s some stuff to consider from what I’ve learned:

Rak with gps in an IP67 box attached to the roof rack. Rak for the low power draw -Gizont 20 or 40 cm whip, because my vehicle is tall and I don’t want a rigid Alfa or something getting sheared off in a parking garage.
you likely know this already but better to not cable from a node in the car to antenna on the roof- keep them together.
look at the Rak green power module, which will accept 12v directly from your cars system and convert to a stable 5v. With a 3000+ size battery in the box , you may not even need a solar backup as the car will top it up as you drive. If you want it to run while the car sits for a week +, then maybe a solar in addition is better for you. -if you want zero fuss, you could also wire up an external waterproof reset switch

I thought it would be kinda cool (though unnecessary) to have a display wired inside the car from the roof…. Anyone done this, know if it’s possible, or know the limitations of cable length from a rak baseboard to a display?

Show us what you come up with!

[–] wildbus8979@sh.itjust.works 4 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

For antennas ISM antennas are easy to find. RAK sells some that are well worth the money. For the node itself I don't think it makes a huge difference. The ESP32 based nodes have a higher power requirements if that matters to you (you'll have to make the calculations as you know how much power you have to spare). They are overall a bit easier to work with, IMHO, than NRF based nodes. The RAK modules seem better made than the Heltecs.