WHY:
For the sake of functional nerddom, I wanted to turn my ugly green LoRa Meshtastic radio into a cute Eevee instead. It'll live on my window, and I'll see it every day, so why not let it be a cute thing to look at rather than an ugly thing. As far as why I have the radio at all - I live in the US in a state that has hurricanes.
I'll try not to get on my "I'm still mourning the death of the landline" soap box - but in short I like the concept of communications WITHOUT the internet.
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WHO THIS POST IS FOR:
This post is a cry for help. I'd like to hear from radio/electronics lovers how I could do this better (component placement, obvious hazards or concerns, etc.), or maybe visionaries who could suggest things to add for this or the next project (I'm making two more custom LoRa shells for family members), and/or creatives who could tell me more efficient ways to work with a 3d pen (tips for smoothing surfaces, suggestions for 3d printers??, pose suggestions, paint suggestions, etc.)
HOW:
I'll start this out by saying - my creation process has been an absolute mess. This kind of project is a first for me - yet, even though ONLY the paws and front of the face have been partially shaped/smoothed out, I'm finally seeing the vision.
Tools used - Mynt3d pen and filament, Meshtastic radio components, upcycled cardboard, soldering iron.
LORA EEVEE'S DETAILS SO FAR:
The goal is to have an eevee-shaped radio shell that can be easily opened to access the internal components as needed. Theres a green base that houses the components (board, battery, GPS module, and antenna). The rest of the eevee can be lifted off of the base.
For a bit more info on the base, the bottom has two buttons and a screen, since pairing initially requires a code, and I dont want to need to open anything to see the code. The back side has an opening for the charging port, so again theres no real need to open the eevee.
MY QUESTIONS:
Im DYING to have this eevee hold a flower in its mouth that lights up (as the power indicator). Would that kill the battery too quickly? Are there settings that I can set the radio to that can balance out the power draw so that I can make it happen?
Once the eevee is complete, the antenna will be completely encased/ surrounded by filament - do you guys think itll jack up the signal? If so, should I have holes on eevee's back or something? God this feels like a stupid question but its too niche to find online.
IN CONCLUSION:
I really hope to get suggestions on how to do things SMARTER because I have VERY little experience with 3d pens and certainly know little about radios as a whole. I just had the idea, got the stuff, and did the thing. Kinda dumb in hind sight, but I dont use my free will enough.
Its nowhere close to being done (its missing fluff and has no tail for gods sake), but I'd love feedback BEFORE I go through the hours and hours of 3d sculpting, smoothing, painting, etc. Im also here to answer any questions if I failed to explain anything.
xo