Harbor Breeze Solar Node (~$10 Build)

Overview 
 The Harbor Breeze Solar Node converts a $10 - 15 Harbor Breeze 60-lumen solar LED floodlight (Lowe's item #SL1832) into a weatherproof, solar-powered mesh node. The floodlight already includes a solar panel (~0.5 W / 90 mA at 5 V), an 18650 battery bay, a charge circuit, and a weatherproof enclosure - the hard parts are done for you. 
 Total cost including radio: approximately $60 - 70 . Enclosure + solar hardware alone: $10 - 15. 

 Bill of Materials 
 
 Item Cost 
 
 Harbor Breeze 60LM Solar LED Light (Lowe's #SL1832) $10 - 15 
 RAK4631 WisBlock Core (nRF52840 + SX1262) $18 - 24 
 RAK19007 WisBlock Base Board (USB-C + JST) $9.99 
 915 MHz LoRa Antenna 2 dBi SMA whip $5 - 10 
 u.FL to SMA Bulkhead Pigtail (~10 cm) ~$5 
 18650 cell (if not included or depleted) $5 - 10 
 Misc: heat-shrink, silicone sealant ~$5 
 Total (approx.) ~$60 - 70 
 
 

 Assembly Overview 
 
 Remove the back cover of the floodlight housing. 
 Remove the LED assembly and cut existing wires near the board. 
 Drill a 1/4″ hole through the housing for the SMA bulkhead connector. 
 Install the RAK WisBlock base board and core module inside the housing. 
 Wire the battery: red = positive (+). 
 Wire the solar panel to the JST "5V SOLAR" header - verify polarity before connecting . 
 Weatherproof all cable entry points and the SMA hole with silicone sealant. 
 Reinstall the back cover. 
 

 Critical Warnings 
 
 Do NOT exceed 6 V on the solar input. The Harbor Breeze panel is rated ~0.5 W trickle charge. Do not substitute a higher-voltage panel. 
 Verify solar wire polarity before connecting to the JST header. Reverse polarity will damage the charge circuit. 
 This panel provides trickle charge only - not suitable for high-duty-cycle backbone repeaters. Nodes that transmit frequently will discharge the battery faster than the panel can recharge it. 
 

 Best For 
 
 Fence lines and yard boundary sensors 
 Low-traffic area coverage (parking lots, fields, trails) 
 Budget-conscious deployments where AC power is unavailable 
 
 Not recommended for high-traffic backbone repeaters or nodes that need continuous uptime.