The S5 Trekker Bravo and the S5 Trekker Mini are two Meshtastic-enabled radios designed by SpecFive LLC, a team of engineers based in the United States.
Both devices are based on the Heltec Wireless Tracker from Heltec Automation. The Wireless Tracker integrates Espressif’s ESP32-S3 system-on-a-chip, a 160 x 80 TFT LCD, a SemTech SX1262 LoRa chip, and a Unicore UC6580 GNSS chip.
The MiniTrekker is much lighter than the Trekker Bravo and features a built-in attachment hook for connecting it with other gear. Both radios are built to be durable enough to resist the rigors of outdoor exploration. They come pre-flashed with the open-source Meshtastic software and are ready to be used out of the box.
The S5 Trekkers are intended to be used when hiking, trekking, and partaking in other outdoor activities that take one away off the well-trodden path. It is also useful for setting up a reliable communication network in the event of emergencies.
We have covered similar solutions for outdoor enthusiasts such as the Trekko Pico, TTGO T-Beam, and TTGO LoRa32.
S5 Trekker specifications:
- Development Board – Heltec Wireless Tracker, with
- Espressif Systems ESP32-S3FN8 microcontroller
- LoRa Node Chip – Semtech SX1262
- GNSS chip – Unicore UC6580
- Supports Wi-Fi, LoRa, Bluetooth, GNSS
- LoRa Frequency – 915 MHz
- Antenna – 915 Mhz LoRa antenna / GPS Ceramic antenna
- Urban Range – ~1.6 to 4.8 km
- Rural Range – ~4.8 to 8 km
- USB – USB-C port for charging
- Battery
- 18650 Li-ion battery (Bravo), 1200mAh LiPo Battery (MiniTrekker)
- Battery Life
- Bravo: 8 hrs active / 24 hrs standby
- MiniTrekker: 3 hrs active / 6 hrs standby
- Dimensions – 140 x 50 x 40 mm (Bravo), 83 x 39 x 20 (MiniTrekker)
- Weight – 165 g (Bravo), 64g (MiniTrekker)
- Case Material – PETG
The MiniTrekker is also configured to work with the Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK) software. You will need to install the ATAK and Meshtastic apps on your phone and set them up to work with the MiniTrekker.
The S5 MiniTrekker and the S5 Trekker Bravo are priced at about $99 and $119 respectively on the Tindie store.
Tomisin is a writer specializing in hardware product reviews, comparisons, and explainers. He is very passionate about small form factor and single-board computers.
Support CNX Software! Donate via cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or purchase goods on Amazon or Aliexpress
