# Station G2 Setup Guide

<div id="bkmrk-%E2%9A%A0-antenna-safety-%E2%80%94-a" style="background:#fff3cd;border:2px solid #ffc107;padding:12px 16px;margin-bottom:20px;">**⚠ ANTENNA SAFETY - ALL DEVICES:** Always connect a properly matched antenna **before** powering on any LoRa device. Never transmit without a properly matched antenna connected. On a high-power PA board like the Station G2, an antenna mismatch during transmission can cause **permanent damage** to the RF amplifier, so this precaution matters even more here than on a bare SX1262 board. </div><div id="bkmrk-fcc-compliance-warni" style="background:#f8d7da;border:3px solid #dc3545;padding:16px 20px;margin-bottom:24px;">**⚠ FCC COMPLIANCE WARNING - READ BEFORE OPERATING**  
  
The Station G2's maximum **36.5 dBm (4.46 W)** output **EXCEEDS the FCC Part 15 conducted limit of 1 W (30 dBm)** for unlicensed 902-928 MHz operation by roughly 6.5 dB - about 4.5× the legal limit. You may **NOT** operate it above 30 dBm conducted on unlicensed 915 MHz.  
  
Compliance is governed by the **conducted** (radio) output limit FIRST, before antenna gain or EIRP. A low-gain antenna does **NOT** make full power legal. For unlicensed Part 15 use you must set conducted TX power to **no more than 30 dBm (1 W)**, and reduce it further dB-for-dB for any antenna with gain above 6 dBi (36 dBm EIRP is the derived ceiling).  
  
Higher power is only lawful under an amateur (**Part 97**) license - and Part 97 **prohibits encryption** (so Meshtastic/MeshCore default AES must be disabled) and **requires station ID by callsign**. See 47 CFR 15.247. </div>## Station G2 - Setup Guide

The Station G2 is a purpose-built fixed base station with a very high TX power capability for a LoRa node (36.5 dBm / 4.46 W conducted) and an integrated LNA for excellent receive sensitivity. **This output level is for licensed (Part 97) or other-region use only - it is NOT a legal unlicensed selling point in the US, where conducted output must be capped at 30 dBm (see the FCC compliance warning above).** It is designed for hilltop, tower, and infrastructure deployments - not personal portable use.

<div id="bkmrk-rf-exposure-note" style="background:#f8d7da;border:2px solid #dc3545;padding:12px 16px;margin:14px 0;">**⚠ RF EXPOSURE (MPE, FCC §1.1310):** At up to 4.46 W into a gain antenna, this station can produce RF-exposure levels exceeding human-safety limits close to the antenna. Perform an RF-exposure evaluation, mount the antenna where people cannot approach within the computed compliance distance while transmitting, and keep workers out of the main beam during installation and service. </div>### Specifications

<table id="bkmrk-attributevalue-mcues" style="border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;"> <tr><th style="background:#f0f0f0;width:35%;">Attribute</th><th>Value</th></tr> <tr><td>MCU</td><td>ESP32-S3</td></tr> <tr><td>Radio</td><td>SX1262 + power amplifier (PA) + LNA</td></tr> <tr><td>Max TX Power (conducted)</td><td>36.5 dBm (4.46 W, US915 per uniteng spec) - **exceeds the US Part 15 limit; cap at 30 dBm for unlicensed use**</td></tr> <tr><td>Price</td><td>$109 (as of 2026-06-08; confirm current price at shop.uniteng.com / official Tindie store)</td></tr> <tr><td>Strengths</td><td>High TX power for licensed/other-region use, integrated LNA, purpose-built for fixed infrastructure</td></tr> <tr><td>Weaknesses</td><td>Expensive; requires high-voltage power; overkill for personal use; full power is illegal for unlicensed US operation</td></tr></table>

<div id="bkmrk-%E2%9A%A1-critical-power-req" style="background:#f8d7da;border:2px solid #dc3545;padding:14px 18px;margin:16px 0;"> **⚡ CRITICAL POWER REQUIREMENT:**  
  
 The Station G2 **requires 15V USB-C Power Delivery (PD) or 9 - 19V external DC** (5.5×2.1 mm barrel jack, center-positive) for full RF power. The high-power amplifier needs this higher voltage to reach full TX power.  
  
 **Standard 5V USB powers the ESP32 (enough to flash and configure the device) but will NOT enable the high-power amplifier.** For full TX power, use 15V USB-C PD or 9 - 19V external DC.  
  
 Use one of: - A USB-C charger that supports Power Delivery (PD) and can negotiate 15V - verify PD capability and that it offers the 15V profile before purchasing
- A 9 - 19V DC supply via the 5.5×2.1 mm barrel jack (12V is a common choice; observe center-positive polarity)
 
 Connecting only 5V will let the device power on and enumerate for flashing/config, but the RF amplifier will not reach full output. </div>### Driver Installation

- **Windows:** The ESP32-S3 can present native USB. If a USB-serial bridge driver is needed for your unit, install the matching driver (CP210x from Silicon Labs, or CH34x/CH9102, depending on the onboard USB chip) only if the device is not detected. Confirm the chip on your board before installing a driver.
- **macOS &amp; Linux:** Built-in - no driver needed.

### Entering Bootloader / DFU Mode

**Method 1 - From powered-off state:**

1. Disconnect power.
2. Hold the **BOOT** button.
3. Connect USB while holding BOOT.
4. Release BOOT after ~2 seconds.

**Method 2 - From powered-on state:**

1. Hold **BOOT**.
2. Briefly press and release **RST**.
3. Release BOOT.

### Firmware Flashing

1. Enter bootloader mode.
2. Open Chrome or Edge and navigate to: 
    - **MeshCore:** [flasher.meshcore.io](https://flasher.meshcore.io)
    - **Meshtastic:** [flasher.meshtastic.org](https://flasher.meshtastic.org)
3. Select **Station G2** from the device list.
4. Click **Flash**. Do not disconnect during flashing.

### Post-Flash Configuration

**MeshCore:**

1. Configure via Bluetooth or serial connection.
2. Set **region to US**. Selecting the US region caps firmware TX power to the legal 30 dBm. Do NOT override the region power cap or enable any high-power/boost mode that pushes conducted output above 30 dBm on unlicensed 915 MHz.
3. **The Station G2 can output up to 4.46 W, which is illegal under Part 15.** Set conducted TX power to no more than 30 dBm (1 W) for unlicensed use, AND reduce it further dB-for-dB for any antenna gain above 6 dBi. Conducted power is a separate, hard limit from EIRP - a low-gain antenna does NOT make full power legal.
4. For most infrastructure deployments: use an external directional or high-gain antenna (and remember high-gain antennas require additional conducted-power reduction).

**Meshtastic:**

1. Set **role to Router** in the app for infrastructure deployment.
2. Configure power settings and region. Selecting US region caps TX power to the legal 30 dBm - do not override it for unlicensed operation.
3. Independent of antenna gain, the conducted (radio) output must not exceed 30 dBm / 1 W for unlicensed Part 15 use. The Station G2 must be turned **DOWN** to 30 dBm or less - reducing TX power is mandatory, not optional, for legal unlicensed operation.

### Known Quirks &amp; Deployment Notes

- Power supply verification is essential - confirm PD output voltage before connecting.
- At full TX power (up to 4.46 W, per the uniteng Station G2 US915 spec), antenna quality and coax loss matter significantly. Use low-loss coax and quality connectors. Remember that for unlicensed US use you must operate at 30 dBm or below.
- Conducted power is the first, hard limit: cap conducted output at 30 dBm / 1 W for unlicensed Part 15 use. The derived EIRP ceiling is ~36 dBm (47 CFR 15.247) - for any antenna with gain above 6 dBi you must reduce conducted TX power dB-for-dB. Example: with a 9 dBi antenna (3 dB over the 6 dBi reference), set conducted power no higher than 27 dBm so EIRP stays at the 36 dBm ceiling.
- **Tower, water-tower, and rooftop installation is elevated, high-voltage-adjacent work** - use fall protection / working-at-height precautions, maintain the full fall-radius clearance from overhead power lines, ground and surge-protect the antenna feedline, and bond the antenna ground rod to the building grounding electrode system (NEC 810.21/250). See *Mounting Outdoor Nodes*.
- Ideal placement: hilltop, water tower, or rooftop with clear line-of-sight horizon (keeping people clear of the RF-exposure compliance distance while transmitting).