Poorman's cases

The small bottle are available
in XL size, may not fit because of the 3 buttons and USB port: https://www.ebay.ca/itm/5-XL-BIG-PET-Micro-Geocaching-container-geocache-Petling-preform-soda-bottle/132379354446
in XXL size fit but not with the current antenna: https://www.ebay.ca/itm/5-pcs-XXL-set-of-BIG-PET-Micro-Geocaching-container-geocache-preform-Soda-bottle/132379354252

I modified the case like Ride33Comfy did but completely not waterproof :slight_smile:

Yup. The USB plug is what prevents the T-Beam from fitting in the wifi tube. I thought about repositioning it, but I’ll probably ruin the board with my current soldering skills.

I ordered XL and XXL for a test. They shipped yesterday. The eBay seller says 5 weeks shipping to US for to Covid, so I ordered from the link I posted above.

For the T-Beam to fit the XL, it would probably require using a heat gun to slightly warp the tube. That probably will prevent the cap from fitting properly though.

My prediction is the T-Beam will end up in the XXL, and the Lora32 in the XL.

I have this one. The version with the SMA on the side would require another approach, of course.

I blew out an OLED trying to bread board instead of soldering it first and had to order a new OLED: note the GND and VCC are flipped!!! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XRBYJR8/ My soldering skills are a little rusty. But I picked up a nice iron on amazon, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0852XJN11/ and got some tinning powder and am in a much better position to work with these. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NS4J6BY/

Poormans ad hoc “pod” module on a stick for mobile testing

I solved the reversed gnd/v3vcc in a replacement oled by speading a ‘gap’ into the leads to miss the middle gnd hole and line up the gnd/3v3/xxx/22(scl)/21(sda)

Also note the pictures on most of the t-beams for sale on aliexpress are not correct in defining the header holes… see how pins 22 and 21 are wrong order and the DCDC1 is mislabeled.

Edit 8/25: The picture has been corrected on aliexpress

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You can also swap the 0 ohm resistors on the oled to swap the polarity of the pins. See here. https://github.com/meshtastic/Meshtastic-device/wiki/Hardware-Information#tt-go-t-beam

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@dafeman thank you for the link to the wiki page. That was good reminder. swapping the 0 ohm resistors is a great recommendation. Since I am not too good with surface mount components, a 0 ohm could just be a little piece of wire jumper or solder bridge. I tend to ‘destroy’ most surface mount components when I try to unsolder them.

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Yea no worries wrecking them getting them off and a blob of solder to replace them. Often just heating one side of those small components with a soldering iron will wick the heat through enough to melt the other.

Took about 3 minutes to assemble, most of that was deciding which drill bit to use. 15/64" was pretty snug, though I might go a size down on the next one. [Edit: 7/32" was a bit tighter, and probably what I’ll use going forward.]

I’ll try to add more details after I play around a bit.

And yes, this is the XXL. I have no affiliation with the company I linked above, but they shipped fast.

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These power cord weather resistant cases have a rubber gasket that can be used to mount an antenna on one end and run a USB cord out the other. The meshtastic node can be kept relatively dry, although not sure how the device will handle any heat, humidity or condensation.

51ZrKgrH1nL.AC_SY400

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2" PVC vacuum pipe (very thin walled) painted yellow (not black) so that it doesn’t look like a pipe bomb :joy:

Still have to get caps, and I think I will unsolder the screen and put 3-4 inch long cables instead so that the screen can be mounted behind a clear plastic lens on a cap. Would also like a watertight bulkhead for the antenna, and possibly mount new buttons where they can be somehow pressed but also watertight? Mostly using the Meshtastic app with Bluetooth, but would love to be able to accidentally drop into a puddle, use while snowshoeing or in heavy rain, or be attached to my dog as he jumps into the pond. Will also probably toss some silica packets in there to prevent any moisture build up

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Using the preform the tbeam becomes submersible and floats. Although, it is a bit bulky. The antenna is not in an ideal position, but it is a decent compromise. The stock GPS antenna also receives good signal. I love the simplicity and waterproofness.

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So LILYGO is selling a waterproof electrical box case that fits their smaller TTGO boards for $3.50 USD shipped, that could be ideal for an outside solution such as a router or base station. Top access could be for the antenna and the bottom for the power source.

ttgo

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The cases arrived today. They look and work well. I had to purchase only two at a time or the shipping cost was crazy expensive. So I purchased two then a few days later two more.

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Wow that really does fit like a glove! I wonder if we can source these from other vendors, since I’ve seen and purchased similar waterproof junction boxes to this. Most of them are typically larger.
If you don’t mind, do mind posting the internal dimensions in mm if you get a chance? Might be helpful for tracking down more of these and figuring out which other devices could fit.

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Name: Waterproof junction box
Item No.: FSH711
Waterproof rating: IP68
Material: PC
Max Temperature: 85°C
Colors: Black / White / Clear
Voltage/Current: 450V / 24A
Inner size: length 53mm, width 28.5mm, height 26.5mm
Outer size: length 115mm, width 37mm, height 35.5mm
Scope of application: all kinds of outdoor lights and underwater lights.
Note: The junction box issued by default is suitable for 5-9mm wire diameters.

Short Video: Link to short video


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So it seems that if you search Waterproof 2Way Electrical Junction Box you might find quite a few options / sizes.

I used on of the larger ones in the past on a directional setup at my old house. They’re a pretty convenient and cheap option.

This from Jaycar (AU/NZ) has internal mounting threads that line up with the holes on a tbeam. I just had to drill out the tbeam holes to 3mm. They have a rubber gasket too so should be fairly weather resistant

Here are two of my cases. The 3D printed cases didn’t hold up too well. :-\

The first is a TTGO LORA32 with a GPS module along and a 2000mAh battery (both from SparkFun) inside a US$1 crayon box from Wally World†. It has a hole for the USB connector and I can hit the push buttons with a small screw driver. The three parts are held to the bottom of the box by low-temp hot glue.

lora_crayon_box

The second is a TTGO TBeam inside a large pill bottle that one of my (legal) medicines comes in. :slight_smile: The only hole is for the antenna connector. The cap is in “child-proof” mode to allow extra room inside for the long TBeam board. Dimensions are ~2" x 4-3/16" (50mm x 105mm).

lora_pill_bottle

† For those of you outside of the US, Wally World is the local vernacular for Wal-Mart.

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