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Harbor Breeze Solar Node (~$10 enclosure, ~$65 total 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 small solar panel (rated ~0.56 W /per the Lowe's listing; a rough estimate of ~90 mA at 5 V), an 18650 batterycell bay,(the listing includes a 3.7 V ~1500 mAh 18650), a charge circuit, and a weatherproof enclosure - the hard parts are done for you. (Prices and specs as of 2026-06-08.)

Total cost including radio: approximately $60 - 70 (as of 2026-06-08; the total tracks the volatile RAK4631 street price). Enclosure + solar hardware alone: $10 - 15.

Bill of Materials

All prices are commodity/street prices as of 2026-06-08 and will vary; recompute the total if the RAK4631 price changes.

ItemCost
Harbor Breeze 60LM Solar LED Light (Lowe's #SL1832)#SL1832; includes a ~1500 mAh 18650)$10 - 15
RAK4631 WisBlock Core (nRF52840 + SX1262)$18 - 24 (street price, varies)
RAK19007 WisBlock Base Board (USB-C + JST) - $9.99 per store.rakwireless.com$9.99
915 MHz LoRa Antenna 2 dBi SMA whip (typical commodity price)$5 - 10
u.FL to SMA Bulkhead Pigtail (~10 cm)cm; typical commodity price)~$5
18650 cell (ifoptional not- includeda ~1500 mAh cell is already included; only needed for a higher-capacity replacement or if depleted)$5 - 10
Misc: heat-shrink, silicone sealant~$5
Total (approx.), as of 2026-06-08)~$60 - 70

Assembly Overview

  1. Remove the back cover of the floodlight housing.
  2. Remove the LED assembly and cut existing wires near the board.
  3. Drill a 1/4″ hole through the housing for the SMA bulkhead connector.
  4. Install the RAK WisBlock base board and core module inside the housing.
  5. Wire the battery: red = positive (+).
  6. Wire the solar panel to the JSTRAK19007 "5Vsolar SOLAR"charge input header - verify the exact header label and polarity against the RAK19007 datasheet before connecting.
  7. Weatherproof all cable entry points and the SMA hole with silicone sealant.
  8. Reinstall the back cover.

Critical Warnings

  • DoKeep NOTthe exceedsolar input within the RAK19007's rated charge-input limit. Confirm the exact maximum solar/charge input voltage against the current RAK19007 datasheet before connecting; as a conservative ceiling, do not feed more than ~6 V oninto the solar input. The Harbor Breeze panel is rated ~0.56 W trickle charge. Do not substitute a higher-voltage panel.
  • Verify solar wire polarity before connecting to the JSTcharge-input 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.

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