Meshtastic Hardware Overview

2025/11/18

I get asked fairly frequently what sort of hardware I recommend for someone just getting started with Meshtastic. I get asked often enough that I’ve decided I should probably write this down to make it easy to share and to make the information a bit more discoverable.

A Question

The question I get is usually something along the lines of the following:

I am new to this whole meshtastic thing but I want to buy a radio or two to get started. What do you recommend for me?

The first answer to this question is actually another question:

What is your use case?

This is a question simple but within it hides a lot of nuance. That nuance is what I’m looking for. Does the person want to carry the node in their bag or pocket? Do they want to install it in a permanent location? Maybe they want to put it on the roof of their car. Do they have access to grid power or will they want to run it on solar? All of these are important things to consider when choosing the right radio.

Portable Use

In this first of our Radio Recommendation series, we will cover portable use cases. I am going to cover this first as it is often the most common, especially for someone just getting started in the hobby. Portable radios should focus on two key aspects: size and battery life. In the following sections I’m going to discuss specific radios that I believe fit this use case. I will discuss what they are and hit on a few key pros and cons of each device. As with all battery powered devices, runtime will vary with use. All battery life numbers provided will be a rough estimate based on usage. Your exact results will vary somewhat but the same conditions are taken in to account for each estimate below so expectations should be relative to another in the list.

I’m not listing these in any particular order. This was intentional to avoid any personal bias I may have towards the manufacturer or device. While I do provide my opinion on what the device is best for, I encourage you to read the summary of each and decide what’s best for you.

SenseCAP T1000-E

Best For - Every day use in relatively RF dense locations where an antenna would draw unwanted attention or cause logistical issue or protection from the elements is warranted.

The SenseCAP Card Tracker T1000-E is approximately the size and shape of a typical office badge (about the size of a credit card, but thicker). This radio is nice for people who want an ultra portable and discreet radio that won’t draw attention when clipped on to a bag or belt loop. It’s IP65 rated meaning it is water resistant. You can safely use this device outdoors without fear of damage from rain or dirt.

Specifications

Pros

Cons

Heltec T114 V2

Best For - Every day use where an external antenna would not be an issue, protection from the elements can be provided by other means and RF density is somewhat lower (think suburban environment vs. urban/city)

The Heltech T114 V2 is a small, pocket friendly radio, about the size of a pack of Tic-Tacs or an AirPods case. This makes it great for sticking in your pocket or in the side pocket of your backpack. It uses an external SMA connector for the antenna meaning there are variety of options available to you depending on your specific situation. Additionally, the T114 comes as a “kit” of sorts with the board, antenna wire, battery, GPS module, case and basic antenna. This means the unit is fully user servicable. This also means, however, that it is not IP rated. While it has faired relatively well in light rain during my testing, I would not want to leave it outdoors completely unprotected from the elements for a long time.

Specifications

Pros

Cons

Muzi Works R1 Neo

Best For: The user who needs a premium, bulletproof product and does not mind paying a bit extra for this.

The Muzi Works R1 Neo is a newer entrant in the space. The R1 Neo is a new generation of the original Muzi Works R1.This new model is IP68 rated. It features an enclosure that is a mixture of machined aluminum and 3D printed PETGCF making it one of the most durable radios on this list, it is also the only one on this list to be rated for prolonged submersion in water. In addition, the R1 Neo includes the largest battery of any radio on this list. All of these features come at a price, however, as it is the most expensive radio on this list. But, for that you get a no compromise, portable radio that can handle just about anything you throw at it.

Specifications

Pros

Cons

Notable Mentions

Heltec Lora32 V3/V4

The Heltec Lora32 V3 and V4 are a great option if you want a low cost option to get your feet wet in the hobby. However, neither is included in my list of recommended options above for portable use as they do not meet one of the key criteria for portable nodes; good battery life. These boards are based on the ESP32-S3 and consume a substantial amount of battery relative to their Nordic nRF52xxx counterparts. In testing, a Lora32 V3 using a 1000mAh battery will run for optimistically run for 5hrs. Compare this to the 3 days of runtime you can get from the same battery on an nRF52xxx based radio and you can see why I did not include it here. There are two key advantages to this board, however, over the others. The first is price; the Lora32 V3 can be found on Amazon for as little as $20 making it one of the cheapest boards you can find. Additionally, the ESP32-S3, unlike the nRF52xxx family, supports WiFi. This could be useful if, for example, you wanted to place a radio somewhere with wifi connectivity to act as an MQTT gateway (a topic for another day).

Portable Summary

In summary, these are only a small handful of devices available on the market today but I feel that these cover the majority of use “portable” use cases and cover a variety of features at different price points.

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