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Your cart is empty.4.6 out of 5 stars
Product Description
RAK Wireless - IoT Made Easy
What do we value most? At RAK, we’re all about keeping things simple, accessible, and efficient. We’re not just creating IoT solutions — we’re building a better future.
WisBlock Base (RAK19007)
Meshtastic is an off-grid messaging system using inexpensive hardware to create your personal mesh. Radios forward messages to the next node to distribute them over the network.
WisBlock Core (RAK4631) 915 MHz
Communicate kilometers/miles between nodes. Internet-connected relay nodes enable the conversation to move online too.
The Meshtastic Starter Kit is available in various frequencies, and this listing is for 915 MHz, commonly used in US.
LoRa & BLE Antenna
Both antennas included in starter kit
LoRa antenna frequency 915 Mhz
Optional add-ons
Extend the Meshtastic Starter Kit with one or several of our suggested add-ons
- Add location service to the mesh with the RAK1910 GNSS module
- Connect peripherals to the Meshtastic Starter Kit with the RAK13002 IO module
- See your messages directly on the device with the RAK1921 OLED display
- Use the RAKBox-B5 to mount the starter kit together with the RAK1921 to a user-friendly indoor stand
T.J. Cloer
Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2025
Pretty much as simple as it gets to get you on the Meshtastic network. The dinky little antenna that comes with the unit will limit you to pretty short range, but if you're looking for something to keep inside to link your phone to the mesh network and have a larger unit outside, this is the one.
CJ
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2025
This WisBlock Meshtastic starter kit delivers on its promise as a solid foundation for LoRa mesh networking projects. The combination of the RAK19007 base and RAK4631 core module makes for a powerful yet accessible platform. Initial setup was straightforward - the pre-soldered headers meant I could start building immediately without breaking out the soldering iron.The US915 frequency band provides excellent range in my semi-rural testing environment. I've achieved reliable communication over 2km with line of sight, and reasonable performance even with some obstacles. The Nordic nRF52840 processor on the RAK4631 handles Meshtastic firmware smoothly, and the integrated LoRa radio performs consistently.Battery management is well-implemented, with the base board providing clean power regulation and USB-C connectivity. The modular WisBlock architecture proves its worth when you want to expand - I've added environmental sensors to create a small weather mesh network. The included antenna is adequate for testing, though serious deployments might benefit from a higher-gain option.Documentation could be more comprehensive for beginners, but the active Meshtastic community makes up for this. While not the cheapest entry point into LoRa development, the build quality and expandability justify the investment. For anyone looking to explore mesh networking or build a long-range communication system, this kit provides a reliable foundation with room to grow.
Robert N.
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2025
Good product and widely recognized as one of the best Meshtastic radios to use. Power consumption is really low, so you can easily get away with a smaller battery.The bluetooth antenna is perfectly adequate but don't think that little included LoRa antenna is going to get you out there. Here on Amazon, you can find a nice rubber-ducky antenna that works wonders with this RAK4631 kit.Great kit, I would purchase again. Thank you!
Fuzz
Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2024
This is my favorite lora board. I like the the power consumption is very low. I like that I can upgrade the Bluetooth antenna vs. other boards which just have a PCB antenna which isn't very good. I like that the solar and battery management is built right in. The modules are fantastic and I hope they continue to expand on this.I do wish that they would include more necessary hardware. Specifically, I mean the pigtails for the solar panel and the battery connectors. It's a real pain trying to find these. They are available on the rak website and they would be inexpensive if it wasn't for shipping. I also wish they would expand the compatibility with different battery chemistries. Some people feel that li-po or li-ion is not ideal in every situation.
Shopper
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2024
Had the urge to do some DIY radio stuff and decided to check out Meshtastic. There are basically two controllers used for those devices, ESP32 and nrf52. This board uses nrf52. ESP32 is a bit of a power hog whereas the nrf52 is the complete opposite. Excellent for mobile use where power is a key factor. The RAK 19007 board acts as a motherboard for IoT devices and then you snap on modules to add the functionality you want for your project. This kit includes the 4630 (Bluetooth 5 and SX1262 LoRa radio) and 4631 (nrf52840 MCU) core module and then you can add others as needed in various positions that snap into place. Certain modules need to go in certain positions so be sure to consult the RAK Wireless site for details on the modules you're planning to use for compatibility with each other space-wise. For my project I chose the 12500 GNSS (GPS) receiver and will probably add a couple more. The modules usually run around $15-25 each so pretty cheap to tinker with.Setting up for Meshtastic was easy, just attach the antennas (DO THIS BEFORE POWERING ON!!! You can damage the transceiver if you do not attach the antennas prior to power on!!!), plug into your computer via USB-C, go to the Meshtastic Flash site pick the device, image version and COM port it's connected to and drop the file you download into the drive that appears, boom! It'll reboot and you're up and running!The great appeal of this kit is in the nrf52 very low power draw and customization you get with the modules. Also these include an on-board solar charge controller to charge a 3.7v LiPo battery from a solar panel! There are other base boards you can choose that take up less room or have more base features on them for expansion capabilities (Browse the RAK website for more details).These are priced a bit over what you can get them directly from China for but not really that much and you'll get them a LOT faster. Once you consider the time delay and shipping charges from China it's a fair trade I think provided they're available. I'd like to see the modules offered on Amazon as it's a pain tracking things down from various vendors. Hopefully more sellers will consider stocking the modules. If you have an IoT project you want to try out or want to try Meshtastic or other projects that support this board and use LoRa I'd recommend these, very happy with mine so far!
Canadamadman
Reviewed in Canada on October 30, 2024
Meshtastic
Canadamadman
Reviewed in Canada on October 30, 2024
Meshtastic all the way
BWAVE
Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2024
All in all very good kit. Good range and easy setup. I liked it better than the Heltec V3 I already had. Super simple setup. Looking forward to low power drain in a solar powered setup.Pros: Worked out of the box. Nice collection of parts 3 Antenna! Way better range on Bluetooth than the Heltec V3. More responsive to commands than the V3.Cons: The RAK needed to be reflashed after 2 days. (BLE locked up and wouldn't connect). Build quality seems fine but the Reset switch fell off ! (I had to short the pads with a small screwdriver) Battery and solar connectors would be nice to include too.
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