Not sure this is the correct forum for this, but I’ll try. I have a RAK WisBlock Meshtastic starter kit with the unity solar enclosure. The problem I have is that when it gets dark the device stops broadcasting although I can still connect via Bluetooth. It’s as though it’s going into standby when the solar panel stops generating electricity even though the battery is at 90%. Is this a bug with the meshtastic software or the RAK hardware?
The only way I can get it to work properly again is to pull the battery to completely turn it off and plug it back in again.
Hi yes, I have done a factory reset but still happens. The firmware is: 2.2.21.7f7c5cb. It’s currently dark out so I factory reset and set everything back up again. I had the floodlight on and it was broadcasting to my home node properly… until the flood light turned off, then nothing. I know from previous attempts that even when the sun is up, the node will still stay sleeping. The only way to get it to broadcast is to disconnect the solar panel. It will then broadcast until the battery dies. It’s definitely the solar panel going from generating to not generating which causes the problem. I have another identical set coming from RAK soon so hopefully it isn’t an unfixable hardware problem. I really want these to be remote nodes. Just doing field trials for now so it’s only at the bottom of the garden.
i am not a specialist in this, but is the solar connected to the solar input on the baseboard ?
and the battery to battery connector (slightly bigger than solar input) ?
no other modules installed ?
i have Rak 19003 with 4631 solar and battery connected running perfectly on .2.2.21
Hi, yes with the usb pointing up the left connector is connected to solar and the right connector to the battery. I had to swap the +/- on the battery as my LIPO had them the wrong way round.
ooh that sounds correct…
the solar connector is the smaller one, the battery connector , the bigger one.
u did not connect in reverse polarity , did you? that would have done some damage…
on my devices there is a tiny orange color LED lighting up, when getting a little power from solar. its is dark, when i cover the solar panel. does your device do the same?
anyway, may the baseboard has a malfunction.
when u order some new parts next time,
just order a rak19003 with it, its small, cheap, ideal for solar setup and probably
will solve your problem.
yes, and if you can exclude all other possible errors, there seems to be something wrong with the baseboard.
that is a cheap replacement, you can stick the 3461 on a new baseboard.
the 19003 can replace the 19007, its much just smaller, and less connectors, gps still possible !
you could also just get a new 19007.
Set to router client instead of client. The boards are known to go to sleep and not wakeup right on client only mode. I believe this was fixed at some point but not sure.