Heltec Automation · Dev board
Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V3 / V3.1
One of the cheapest entries into Meshtastic/MeshCore experimentation on a bench or USB power; no GPS or case.
Meshtastic: officially supportedMeshCore: supported
From $17.90List price on heltec.org, checked November 1, 2026
At a glance
Battery
Not included
GPS
No
Screen
OLED
Water resistance
Not listed
Chip
ESP32-S3 (Wi-Fi)
List price
From $17.90
Strengths
- ESP32-S3 with Wi-Fi, needed for features like MQTT over Wi-Fi
- Runs either Meshtastic or MeshCore
Trade-offs
- No battery included; check the connector before buying one
- No GPS
- ESP32 boards draw more power than nRF52 boards, per Meshtastic docs
Based on published specs, not hands-on testing.
Specifications
| Type | Dev board |
|---|---|
| Processor | ESP32-S3 (ESP32-S3FN8) |
| LoRa radio | SX1262 |
| US 915 MHz version | Yes (902-928 MHz band option on heltec.org; Meshtastic lists 902-928 MHz.) |
| Screen | OLED 0.96 in (128x64) |
| Keyboard | No |
| GPS | No (Meshtastic: 'No GPS'.) |
| Battery | None included; SH1.25-2 lithium battery connector |
| Solar input | No dedicated solar input stated; heltec.org lists a separate 'Solar Kit for Dev-board' accessory. |
| Wi-Fi | Yes, 802.11 b/g/n 2.4 GHz |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5 (LE) |
| Water resistance | Not listed |
| List price | $17.90–$19.90 (heltec.org price range (currency shown as $).) |
Checked November 1, 2026. "Not listed" means the maker and official docs don't state it.
Known issues and cautions
From the maker's documentation and the official Meshtastic docs.
- Meshtastic docs: may have issues charging a connected battery with a USB-C to USB-C cable; USB-A to USB-C recommended.
- Meshtastic docs: no ESD protection on the CP2102 USB-UART bridge; be careful with the USB-C port.
- heltec.org spec: max TX power 21±1 dBm. Heltec FAQ: for reboot issues, use a supply with at least 600 mA of stable 5 V.
- Heltec FAQ: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth cannot be used simultaneously without external PSRAM.
Similar devices
- Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V4 Dev board, $17.90–$27.50
- Heltec Wireless Tracker (V1.1) Dev board, $22.90
- Heltec Wireless Tracker V2 Dev board, $30.90
- Heltec Wireless Paper (V1.1) Dev board, $19.90
Compare Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V3 / V3.1 with Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V4 and Heltec Wireless Tracker
Sources
- meshtastic.org/docs/hardware/devices/heltec-automation/lora32/
- meshtastic.org/docs/hardware/devices/
- heltec.org/project/wifi-lora-32-v3/
- github.com/meshcore-dev/flasher.meshcore.io/blob/main/config.json
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