MeshCore/Meshtastic Solar Node with Active Cooling

Description

Most solar enclosures are sealed boxes that cook your battery in direct sun. This one isn't — a fan kicks on above 40°C to vent heat, powered by the solar input so it never drains your battery. Add rain protection and a dust filter, and it's built to handle real summer, not just look weatherproof.

Field-tested to IP55 equivalent — dust protected, water-jet sprayed from every angle, stayed dry inside. Pole or tree mount, same hardware either way.

Key Features

- Active cooling — fan at 40°C, sun-powered

- Vented, not sealed — battery stays near ambient temp

- Rain-tested — sprayed from every angle, stayed dry

- Filtered intake — no dust or bugs inside

- Pole or tree mount — shared hardware

- Fits a 220×220 bed

Compatibility & Parts You Supply

- Radios: Heltec T096, Heltec T114, Seeed XIAO nRF52

- Batteries: Up to 2x 18650/21700/26650

- Solar: 3x 200mA panels (1W option coming)

- Also needed: N-type antenna, 40°C thermal switch, filter material, wiring

Printed enclosure kit for your own electronics — not pre-assembled.

Good to Know

- v1.0 — all v1.x parts interchange; v2.x will not be backward compatible. Older version files stay up so you can print matching repair parts.

- Fan only cools in direct sun (solar-powered, not battery) — minimal cooling at night

- Field-tested to IP55 equivalent — dust protected, sprayed with water jets from every angle, stayed dry inside (no official lab cert, not submersible)

- No AI used in design/testing

- DIY lithium battery build — use a protected cell/BMS, standard precautions apply, build at your own risk

License

Personal use, unlimited builds, no fee. Selling assembled units requires contacting me first for a royalty rate. Modify for yourself freely; don't re-share modified files publicly (send me suggestions instead). No reselling/re-uploading the files themselves.

Parts - Some links below are affiliate links — I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The price may not be current, but the lowest cost PER NODE if buying in bulk will be in Parentheses ( )

Seeed build using these parts, excluding plastic - $50

Core electronics:

- 28DB Radio board (Heltec T096): Amazon $45

- SEEED Studio NRF52: SeeedStudio $13.50

- Battery

- 5200mAh 3.7V Li-ion: Amazon $14

- 3000mAh 3.7V Li-ion

- Amazon $9

- Ali Express $1

- Fan, 20x20x6mm brushless, 5V: Amazon 6 for $16 ($2.70)

- Thermal switch (40°C activation): Amazon 5 for $9 ($1.80)

- 1N5817 Schottky diode (solar reverse-current protection): Amazon 125 for $6 ($0.15)

- JST pigtail connectors: Amazon 15 Pairs for $8 ($0.53)

Solar:

- 110×60mm 5V 200ma solar panel: Amazon 5 for $15 ($9)