Product image: Heltec AutomationV4 family; the current manufacturer page shows revision V4.3.
Heltec Automation · Dev board
Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V4
Low-cost dev board with higher TX power plus solar and GNSS headers; good base for a DIY fixed node.
Meshtastic: officially supportedMeshCore: supported
From $17.90List price on heltec.org, checked November 1, 2026
At a glance
Battery
Not included
GPS
Optional
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
- 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-S3R2; separate V4-R8 variant uses ESP32-S3R8) |
| LoRa radio | SX1262 (high-power option 28+/-1 dBm) |
| US 915 MHz version | Yes (902-928 MHz option on heltec.org and Meshtastic page; Heltec also lists a US Warehouse option (ships within US only). US 915 MHz buyers get the high-power version.) |
| Screen | OLED 0.96 in (heltec.org also offers a no-display option; V4-R8 has OLED or TFT variants) |
| Keyboard | No |
| GPS | Optional (No GPS onboard; 8-pin SH1.25 GNSS interface; Heltec sells an L76K GNSS module separately.) |
| Battery | None included; SH1.25x2 lithium battery connector (3.3-4.4 V) |
| Solar input | Yes (1.25x2-pin solar interface, 4.7-6 V input (heltec.org).) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes, 802.11 b/g/n 2.4 GHz |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5 (LE) |
| Water resistance | Not listed |
| List price | $17.90–$27.50 (heltec.org price range across options (display, power version, R2/R8).) |
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.
- heltec.org: the 915 MHz band comes only in the high-power version (28 dBm, 863-928 MHz); the low-power version (22 dBm) covers 433-510 MHz.
- Meshtastic docs (V4-R8): separate hardware variant with different pinout; do not flash firmware-heltec-v4-* on a V4-R8; use Meshtastic 2.7.25 or newer.
- heltec.org: keeps the V3 form factor and pinout and is 'compatible in most scenarios', but transmit-power settings in some code may not match actual output.
Similar devices
- Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V3 / V3.1 Dev board, $17.90–$19.90
- 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 V4 with Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V3 / V3.1 and Heltec Wireless Tracker
Sources
- meshtastic.org/docs/hardware/devices/heltec-automation/lora32/
- meshtastic.org/docs/hardware/devices/heltec-automation/lora32/
- meshtastic.org/docs/hardware/devices/
- heltec.org/project/wifi-lora-32-v4/
- github.com/meshcore-dev/flasher.meshcore.io/blob/main/config.json
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