Specs at a glance
LoRa chip
SX1262
Frequency
915 MHz (US)
Transmit power
up to 22 dBm
Antenna
SMA, included
Battery
JST 2-pin
Display
0.96" OLED
Connectivity
BLE + Wi-Fi
USB
Type-C
What we like about it
Cheap enough to lose
$40 means you'll actually take it places. Drop it in a backpack, mount it on a fence, lend one to a friend without flinching.
The screen earns its keep
Built-in OLED shows signal, battery, and recent messages without needing a phone. Useful when you're field-testing coverage.
The community runs them
About half of the active KC nodes are Heltecs. If you have a question, somebody in the Discord has the same hardware in front of them right now.
Known caveats
The Heltec's stock antenna is functional but quiet. A $15 swap to a proper 915 MHz whip will roughly double your usable range. Worth it the moment you commit to keeping the node powered up.