The Heltec V3 is more or less the cheapest simplest entry into mesh radio. You may have to plug in an ipex connector but no soldering. They can be found packaged with a very basic case (so you’re not handling the raw pcb) and an antenna for 20-30 $US. If you want to spend a little extra and be able to play with the gps features in MT, the Heltec T114 V2 is great and equally simple to set up. That’s what I started with and glad I did. Have fun!

I’m brainwaving a vehicle setup too, so here’s some stuff to consider from what I’ve learned:

• Rak with gps in an IP67 box attached to the roof rack. Rak for the low power draw -Gizont 20 or 40 cm whip, because my vehicle is tall and I don’t want a rigid Alfa or something getting sheared off in a parking garage.
• you likely know this already but better to not cable from a node in the car to antenna on the roof- keep them together.
• look at the Rak green power module, which will accept 12v directly from your cars system and convert to a stable 5v. With a 3000+ size battery in the box , you may not even need a solar backup as the car will top it up as you drive. If you want it to run while the car sits for a week +, then maybe a solar in addition is better for you. -if you want zero fuss, you could also wire up an external waterproof reset switch

I thought it would be kinda cool (though unnecessary) to have a display wired inside the car from the roof…. Anyone done this, know if it’s possible, or know the limitations of cable length from a rak baseboard to a display?

Show us what you come up with!