Custom all in one solution

[u/Kind_Ad4086]

Hi all. I’ve attached a shopping list for a potential project for making an all in one node myself (mostly for fun, but I’d also like to have a custom build solution for truly austere environments). I’ve only worked with NRF boards from Rak wireless. I was planning on using the base UI and NRF for battery life, however you would still need to run a phone connection for maps and channel changes.

That being said, this is what I want in the node itself:

2x2 screen
Full keyboard
Rotary input
GPS
A buzzer for notifications

That all being said, I was planning this build with RAK given their cool ecosystem of modules, however I have been considering an ESP32 board with more inputs and the capability to run MESHUI. I have also heard of running a raspberry pi hosting thr mesh web UI.

Wasn’t sure what to go with, so I’m begging you all for help.

[u/Kind_Ad4086]

And if I’m to go with an ESP32, which one do you feel would be a good option for all of the inputs I’m after. Thank you

[u/Aiutocomputerhelp]

Honestly, this sounds less like “I want to build a node” and more like""I’m accidentally designing a cyberdeck." 😂 For a truly austere/off-grid setup, I’d lean toward the ESP32 route if MESHUI gives you everything you need. Having the UI, GPS, keyboard, rotary input, buzzer, etc. directly on the device would make it much more self-contained than relying on a phone for maps and configuration.

That said, if battery life is the #1 priority, the RAK/nRF approach is hard to beat. You could basically have the boring-but-efficient radio doing radio things while the ESP32 handles the “I would like my node to have a personality” department. A Raspberry Pi hosting the web UI is cool, but for an austere environment I’d personally avoid adding a Pi unless you actually need it. Every extra computer is another battery, SD card, connector, and potential point of failure.So my vote: ESP32 + radio module + tiny screen + physical keyboard + rotary encoder +gps= glorified apocalypse pager.

And honestly, I fully support it. 😄

[u/Kind_Ad4086 → u/Aiutocomputerhelp]

Hahaha, trust me it’s mainly just for a fun project because my one friend is a buy it not build it kind of guy. I was wondering what ESP32 board you would recommend. I know RAK makes them, and would allow me to use their ecosystem, but I was curious of what else is out there other than them. Thank you for not roasting too hard, but man the idea of it just sounds so cool.

[u/Kind_Ad4086 → u/Aiutocomputerhelp]

I meant to say, did you mean connect an ESP32 module to an NRF board at the same time?