Waterproof Solar Enclosure for LoRA Node
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A fully 3D printed waterproof box to hold a LoRA node (or anything you want really), battery, SMA connector and button.
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Model information
- Source
- Printables
- Category
- Electronics
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- Creative Commons — Attribution — Share Alike
This is a fully 3D printed enclosure I use for my Meshtastic solar nodes. It includes provisions to stick a solar panel directly to the lid. It also includes a separate holster you can screw into a wall and then just slide the node into it for easy access.
I have two nodes running for 12+ months in cases based on this exact design, outside, in the rain, direct exposure.
To make this design 'waterproof' you need to do a few things:
stick on the solar panel with sillicone, caulk, gasket maker, or whatever sticky waterproof substance you can think of
add a rubber gasket into the provided groove (or more sillicone if you never need to take it apart again…)
put some silicone or rubber around the sma connector before inserting it
(optionally) spray some PVA laquer onto it before you glue on the solar panel
It has mounting locations for a Heltec T114 board, two 18650 cells, MPPT charger module, SMA connector and a 12mm button (or key switch).
The design is PARAMETRIC, you can change parameters inside the Fusion360 source file to get a box sized for your particular solar panel. Inside Fusion go to Modify > Modify parameters and change the relevant values. Then go to Utilities > Export , choose .3mf as format, choose each part you want to export and save it as a file.
Even if this is a waterproof box, you should drill a small hole on the underside. Even professional waterproof enclosures are prone to condensation inside due to heat/cool cycles pulling in air from outside and moisture wicking through (even goes underneath cable insulation). Drilling a small hole underneath where water can't directly drip into will ensure less moisture inside.
Regarding solar panel size: I'm running Meshtastic nodes based on Heltec T114 boards (nrf52840) in Client mode on just these small 73x133mm solar panels and a single 3500mAh cell without issue. For esp32 nodes or different applications you'll want a bigger panel.
Print instructions:
should print without supports (lid has them built-in)
3-4 outer perimeters + 3-4 top and bottom layers to make it waterproof
the lid has built-in supports that are very easy to remove, just a thin line. make sure you have a decent cooling for this one. It's meant to be printed with the solar panel side down
Required bits:
2.5mm thick rubber tube (https://aliexpress.com/item/1005007248132438.html is what I use)
1pcs. solar panel (73x133mm default, or change the source file) I use 6V 210mA panels (https://aliexpress.com/item/1005008076138305.html)
4pcs. M4 screws + heat-set inserts