Meshtastic Heltec Tracker LoRa Board - Enclosure with 18650 Battery Support

by Joey Chittick

Printed on a Bambu P1S with Standard or Optimal print profile. I have only tried PLA for this build so far. Please note that the tolerances are pretty tight to ensure a good fitment.Flash the Meshtastic Firmware to your board, install the case and your choice of 18650 and enjoy!Parts Required1 X Heltec Tracker (915MHz for USA and Canada)1 X Switch (Optional, but there is a cutout for it)1 X 18650 Battery Holder8 X M1.7*6 Screws (I just had these laying around, others may fit)Wire (You can use what comes with the Tracker and Battery Holder)Soldering Iron/Solder/FluxHot Glue (I added a drop to the four corners of the board, the switch, and the battery holder)WiringThe wiring is pretty simple, just connect one of the battery leads to the switch, then the corresponding lead to the connector that comes with the board. (I recommend the ground wire, see below)I included the switch so I can be sure the board doesn't draw the battery down when not in use, but there is a software shutdown option with the Meshtastic Firmware if you choose not to add the switch.Please ensure you don't short your positive lead of your battery to the antenna connector as that is grounded through the board. That could create a dangerous situation for your battery and would likely destroy all your hardware.Known Issues - To be addressed in a future revisionPush buttons are inconsistentThe push button placement on the Heltec boards does not seem consistent from build to build as one of my boards works perfectly with this design and the other is a challenge to push them. I will be changing the design of the push buttons in a future revision as they aren't ideal.Coil antenna location is inconsistentThe coil antenna on the front of my two samples varies by several millimeters. I have made a slot that works well for my two boards but with such a small sample size I am unsure if other boards could have fitment issues. I can open up the slot if anyone has issues.Text for Dual Filament SetupsYou'll notice