# Result It is up and working. I am so impressed with how well it works. It has picked up nodes as far away as 250km. I haven’t been able to communicate with them. That is a bit far. It is also dependent on location. This is in a secluded 135 metre hill. ![[SolarRelay1.jpeg]] ![[SolarRelay2.jpeg]] # Parts I bought most of my parts from eBay and AliExpress. My advice is to shop around. A lot of the parts are generic, Chinese made gear anyway and can be overpriced if bought from UK sources. Enclosure - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005387771681.html 40cm 4 dBi Antenna - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/185760400280 10W Solar Panel - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005888729164.html LilyGo T-Beam v1.2 - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006372234198.html Power bank - Erm. That was a 50,000 mAh power bank that my wife found that a neighbour was giving away. Maybe overkill, but it works. My advice is buy one that has pass through charging. Otherwise it will give you headaches. Some don't do that. Do Not use Anker. They don't work. Other bits and pieces https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/195314540328 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08HLKSKDQ https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003SYNGXI https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004SGE0OY https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08T92LSCM https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CJRCZQM7 # Issues So far my only issue is that after about a week of uptime, it seemed to stop responding. I have an admin channel configured, so I am able to remotely reboot the node every few days without walking 1.5 km to get a direct connection. The solar panel is bolted to the top of the enclosure. That means drilling holes in the top. That is a potential ingress for water. I used silicone sealant around this area to ensure it doesn’t happen. It doesn’t look the best, but works. I have had a couple of storms and it has survived without any water ingress. # 2024-07-18 Update This has been running really well for a longtime. Unfortunately, it seems that the solar panel I chose does not produce enough power to keep the power bank charged. It does last a really long time without needing to be charged, but not enough to be totally self sufficient. I have now ordered a new solar panel that is rated at 20W. I'll give that a go to see if it is better. Hopefully, that will keep things going indefinitely. Beyond the power issue, I have had no further issues. It seems to operate in a really stable way. I have replaced the antenna with a 12dbi Staf model. That seems to get me extra range, and I can now directly communicate with more nodes that are further away. Including some nodes 35 km away with Brighton in the way.