Im not an expert by any means, but you can get setup with a rooftop node pretty cheaply. You’ll want a NRF-based device for power efficiency so like a RAK WisBlock 4631, then a decent antenna, Rokland has some good options for higher gain fiberglass but your local mesh or HAM club can probably help here since there is a lot of garbage antennas out there. You will probably want an MPPT charge controller as well since the on board one is pretty crap, our local mesh often recommends an option from Aliexpress that’s less than $5. You can build your own node for less than $200 though for sure. If you want a ready to go option, I’ve heard good things about the SeeedStudio SenseCAP P1 and it’s less than $100.

All that said, be sure to coordinate the role with your local mesh. A poorly placed router can cause a ton of problems. Almost all rooftop nodes should be client or client_base.