Curious_Canid

joined 2 years ago
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I got my first device! in c/meshtastic@mander.xyz
[โ€“] Curious_Canid@lemmy.ca 2 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

Congratulations on getting started!

Walking the dog just got a whole lot nerdier | r1 neo in c/meshtastic@mander.xyz
[โ€“] Curious_Canid@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I have mostly resorted to using the tiny 4.5cm "glue stick" antennas. I carry my radio everywhere and any longer antenna ends up getting in the way enough to be a problem. The stub antennas supplied by Heltec (and almost everyone else) do surprisingly well for their size. But a whip like the one in your picture will more than double your coverage area. It's always a tradeoff.

Part of my reasoning is that I'm usually working through a repeater. I have one placed at a high point in my neighborhood. I have another that rides on top of my car. If my mobile is within reach of either, I'm reaching out a lot farther than the small antenna could manage by itself.

1
T-Deck Plus Changes (lemmy.ca)
 

I just went through some frustration. I recently got a T-Deck Plus and I really like it. Now that the standard firmware for it supports the expanded UI a lot of the gaps I've ready about seem to have been filled in.

My only complaint is that I wish it had better battery life. AlleyCat designed a replacement case back for it that will hold an 8000 mAh battery (it comes with 2000 mAh). It is certainly thicker, but not really too bad, and 4x the battery life would be worth that for me.

Unfortunately, it doesn't fit. Lilygo has apparently made some changes to the hardware since the Plus came out. I've seen pictures of them with the AlleyCat case back installed, so I know it used to fit. When I measure the inside of the bottom section with a caliper, the new case back is around 1.5mm narrower than the one it came with. That is more than enough to keep it from working.

There were also several other differences that would cause problems. The reset button has changed, which could be worked around. The speaker has changed so that it can't overlap with the battery, which is another showstopper.

I'm in favor of manufacturers improving designs. I just wish they would assign clear version numbers to them so we could tell what we're getting.

The device itself is great. Just don't count on the after-market for upgrades.