00:00If you're building out a MeshTastic network, you already know the radio matters way more than the
00:04marketing. I went down the rabbit hole of LoRa transceivers that actually play nice with MeshTastic
00:10and I came back with the best deals for the top 5 LoRa transceiver devices for MeshTastic networks.
00:16First up, the ThinkNote M1 LoRa signal transceiver. This one's the full package,
00:21a 1.54-inch EPD screen that's readable in direct sunlight, built-in GPS, and the NRF52840 chip
00:28running MeshTastic natively, with an optional case and 868 MHz support. At $140.51 it's not the
00:36cheapest, but with 4,856 sold and a 4.8 rating, people clearly trust it. If you want a polished,
00:44ready-to-go node with GPS baked in, this is the one to beat. Next, the Elicro transceiver-compatible
00:51LoRa MeshTastic device. Same ThinkNote M1 DNA, same NRF52840 and SX1262 combo, GPS included,
01:00but you can pick 868 MHz or 915 MHz depending on your region. Here's the kicker, it's $115.63,
01:09and it's got a 4.9 rating with 4,771 sold. That's the highest-rated unit on this list.
01:17If you want premium performance without the premium price tag, this is your sweet spot.
01:23Number 3 is the Elicro ThinkNote M5, and this is the budget champion.
01:28It's got that same 1.54-inch EPD display, but it runs on the ESP32 S3 and comes in US
01:34915 MHz or EU 868
01:37MHz. At just $63.99, with 4,374 sold and a 4.6 rating, this is the cheapest way to
01:46get a legit
01:46mesh-tastic node with a screen. Perfect for testing the waters or building out a bunch of
01:51nodes without breaking the bank. Fourth, the A88M MeshTastic T-GPS module.
01:58This one's the tinkerer's pick, low RA-WAN plus LCD, 2.4G Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0,
02:04all on a development board at 433 MHz. It's $140.65, 4,190 sold, 4.6 rating.
02:15If you like messing with firmware, experimenting with different frequencies,
02:19or you're running a 433 MHz setup, this board gives you the most flexibility of the bunch.
02:25Fifth, we've got another Elicro option, the Laura MeshTastic Transceiver with GPS,
02:30ESP32 and NRF52A40, basically a think-node M1 long-range node that doubles as a repeater.
02:37It's $107.06, 4,121 sold, 4.6 rating. If you need to extend your mesh's reach or fill dead
02:46zones
02:46between nodes, this thing earns its keep as a dedicated repeater without costing a fortune.
02:51So there you have it, 5 solid Laura transceivers for your MeshTastic network,
02:56from budget builds to full-featured nodes. Links to all of them are in the description below,
03:01so go check the current prices before they change. If this helped you out,
03:05smash the like button and subscribe for more Dear Breakdowns and I'll see you in the next one.
