Popular Board Comparison Table
Board Comparison Table
The table below covers the most widely deployed boards for LoRa mesh networking as of 2025 - 2026, across both Meshtastic and MeshCore platforms. All TX power figures are nominal maximum; actual radiated power depends on antenna gain and any regulatory caps applied in firmware.
| Board | MCU | Radio | TX Power | RX Current | Sleep | Battery | GPS | Screen | Platform | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-Beam v1.1 | ESP32 | SX1262 | 22 dBm | ~40 mA | ~10 mA | 18650 holder | NEO-6M | Optional OLED | Meshtastic / MeshCore | Classic all-in-one. AXP192 PMIC. |
| T-Beam Supreme | ESP32-S3 | SX1262 | 22 dBm | ~45 mA | ~8 mA | 18650 holder | MAX-M10S | Optional OLED | Meshtastic | Newer variant; better GPS. (The SX1268 is only the 433/470 MHz China sibling; US/915 MHz units use the SX1262.) |
| Heltec LoRa 32 V3 | ESP32-S3 | SX1262 | 22 dBm | ~40 mA | ~800 µA | JST LiPo | No | 0.96" OLED | Meshtastic / MeshCore | Cheap, OLED display useful for debug. USB-C. |
| RAK4631 | nRF52840 | SX1262 | 22 dBm | ~8 mA | ~2 µA | JST LiPo | Optional RAK1910/1920 | No (separate module) | Meshtastic / MeshCore | Modular WisBlock system. Best power efficiency for ESP32-free builds. |
| LilyGO T-Echo | nRF52840 | SX1262 | 22 dBm | ~8 mA | ~12 µA | JST LiPo | L76K GNSS | 1.54" ePaper | Meshtastic | Excellent battery life. ePaper shows info with no power draw. Popular for hiking. |
| Heltec T114 | nRF52840 | SX1262 | 21 dBm | ~8 mA | ~12 µA | JST LiPo | Optional | 1.14" TFT | MeshCore primary | Heltec Mesh Node T114 (a Heltec product, not LILYGO). Pairs an nRF52840 with a bare SX1262 (no external PA), so TX tops out near the SX1262's ~21 dBm ceiling. nRF52840 efficiency makes it a common MeshCore repeater choice. |
| Seeed XIAO S3 + LoRa | ESP32-S3 | SX1262 | 22 dBm | ~40 mA | ~14 µA | JST LiPo | No | No | Meshtastic / MeshCore | Tiny form factor. Good for compact builds. |
| ZebraHat 1W | ESP32 | SX1262+PA | 30 dBm | ~45 mA active | ~10 mA | External | No | No | Meshtastic | 1W transmitter. For mountain-top infrastructure where extra power matters. Requires heat management. |
| Ikoka 2W Module | - | SX1262+PA | 33 dBm | ~80 mA TX | - | External | No | No | Meshtastic / MeshCore | External power amplifier add-on. 2W output. 33 dBm conducted exceeds the FCC Part 15.247 1 W (30 dBm) conducted limit, so it is NOT legal for unlicensed US operation; using it lawfully requires an amateur (Part 97) license, which prohibits encryption and requires station identification. |
Per-Platform Notes
ESP32 Boards (T-Beam, Heltec LoRa 32)
Easy to source, wide support, larger community. Higher power consumption limits battery life. Built-in USB serial is convenient for development. Not ideal for solar-only deployments where current draw matters.
nRF52840 Boards (RAK4631, T-Echo, T114)
Dramatically lower power consumption. RAK4631 is modular - add sensors, GPS, cellular as needed. T-Echo has excellent all-in-one form factor with ePaper. Preferred for long-term battery or solar deployment.
High-Power Options (ZebraHat, Ikoka)
In the US, 902-928 MHz operation is limited by FCC Part 15.247 to 1 W (30 dBm) conducted output referenced to a ≤6 dBi antenna (with dB-for-dB reduction above 6 dBi). A 30 dBm board like the ZebraHat is at that ceiling; a 33 dBm module like the Ikoka exceeds it and is not legal for unlicensed Part 15 use. Higher TX power is not always better - it increases interference with nearby nodes and draws more power. Use only for specific long-range requirements after confirming conducted-power and antenna-gain compliance (or operating under an appropriate amateur license).
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