Hi, does anyone know if the micro USB port of T-beam v1.2 can also charge the 18650 battery in the battery holder? Thanks!
Yes. You can use also a USB solar panel 
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Thank you! I am also planning to hook it up with a 20W or more solar panel as the power source during the day.
A tip for configuring the TBeam: with ROUTER_CLIENT you can activate the Store&Forward module to exchange messages with nodes that are currently offline or unavailable.
You could also store your WiFi hotspot (deactivate Bluetooth) and activate MQTT uplink to report the nodes you have seen for http://meshmap.net. You can then reach your node via app or web client using an IP address in your home network.
If you set up the second admin channel, you can change the configuration via a second node (e.g. Heltec plus case). I would activate power saving on the solar panel or operate the device as a router, then it will only consume 20-30mA (depending on the airusage).
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I also have several Heltec V3.1 nodes. Can they also charge the battery through the USB-C as well? Since they have no onboard GPS chip, would they consume less power than T-Beam as a router? Thanks!
A note about the TBeam. If the battery runs completely dead, it requires a button press to power back up - even if the solar panel is supplying power. At least this used to be the case. I don’t think it has changed with any firmware updates.
My workaround is to skip the 18650 and use a battery bank that allows pass-through charging (hard to find) which is then powered by a solar panel.
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You can lower the ADC multiplier to adjust shutdown e.g. to 20% of the battery level. After 24 hours the firmware should resume and messure voltage again (never try this with tbeam).
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