Heltec v4 meshtastic
Nice looking OLED unit with the GPS connection. Great upgrade from heltec v3, will test out solar option however everything worked as expected.

I love meshtastic
The ESP32 LoRa V4 Development Board with the upgraded ESP32-S3 and SX1262 LoRa module is one of those boards that immediately stands out as a serious step up from the usual hobby-tier ESP32 LoRa combos that flood the market. Right out of the gate, the inclusion of the ESP32-S3 instead of the older ESP32 or ESP32-S2 means you’re getting a much more modern microcontroller foundation. The S3 brings dual-core LX7 processing, enhanced AI/ML acceleration instructions, and significantly improved USB capabilities, which makes workflows like native USB flashing, USB-OTG experiments, and HID emulation possible without an external bridge chip. Pairing that with the SX1262 LoRa transceiver is a huge win; the SX1262 is the newer generation chip vs the older SX1276/78 family, offering better sensitivity, wider frequency range support, improved power efficiency, and more stable high-range performance. In practice, this translates into noticeably better packet reliability and longer-range communication, especially when paired with a proper tuned antenna and clean power. The board layout is thoughtfully executed, with clear silkscreen labeling, separated RF section, and generally low noise floor when powered by a quality supply. Build quality feels solid, with clean solder work, proper grounding, and well-placed decoupling capacitors around critical components. You don’t get that sloppy RF section bleed or random heat spots you sometimes see on cheap clone LoRa boards.Performance-wise, the board feels snappy when running WiFi + LoRa workloads simultaneously, and the S3’s additional RAM makes more complex packet processing, forward-error-correction logic, or custom encryption stacks smoother. When using Meshtastic firmware or a custom LoRa mesh setup, the board handles extended uptime without thermal throttling or instability, and radio transmission remains stable under varying duty cycles. RF output power feels consistent across channels—no obvious frequency drift or power dropout when switching bands. Bluetooth coexistence also behaves reliably; BLE advertising plus LoRa messaging doesn’t choke the CPU or introduce dropout spikes like older chips sometimes did. USB-C connectivity is a bonus, offering faster flash cycles and eliminating the driver headaches seen with CP2102-based boards. Flashing firmware is quick and stable, and the board enters bootloader mode reliably without the need for manual button juggling. For power systems, onboard voltage regulation is sufficient, clean, and stable even when driving OLED displays, sensors, or GPS modules. Idle power consumption with radio sleep enabled is impressively low, making it viable for battery-powered field deployments with proper firmware optimization.In day-to-day prototyping, the board feels like a polished platform rather than a quick-shipped dev module. GPIO accessibility is good, spacing is proper for jumper wires without crowding, and the antenna connector quality matters here—tight tolerance threads and good impedance match ensure consistent RF performance if you swap antennas. Compatibility with popular libraries, ESP-IDF, Arduino IDE, PlatformIO, and Meshtastic builds is smooth, and the S3’s extra flash and PSRAM on this module give you breathing room for more advanced UI frameworks, real-time telemetry dashboards, or encrypted over-the-air communications. Latency remains low, deep sleep wake functions behave predictably, and the board wakes quickly enough for duty-cycled mesh nodes or portable handheld communicator devices. In short, this ESP32-S3 SX1262 LoRa V4 board feels like a modern, high-end evolution of the classic LoRa ESP32 dev board formula—stable, powerful, thoughtfully engineered, and genuinely ready for advanced wireless projects, whether you’re building custom IoT deployments, long-range telemetry networks, or rugged field-ready mesh communicators. It’s also very economical.

Evolution of the v3
I have a soft spot for the Heltec LoRa devices, as the v2 was my first entry into LoRa and later, Meshtastic. Since that time I’ve amassed an array of devices across various manufacturers. I was excited at the prospect of a little more transmit power, as I currently receive from nodes on the fringe that I simply can’t reach.Around the time I received my device, I saw that 2.7.13 had been released (alpha) with proper support for the v4. I had no issues flashing with the web flasher through Chromium on Fedora Linux. The v4 came right up afterwards.I swapped a Heltec T190 with this v4 for my main WiFi enabled node that I use with MeshSense and MQTT. So far, though, I’ve found my reach to be mostly unchanged. The v4 works great, stays connected to WiFi, etc., but I’m still not quite able to reach those nodes.Overall, I’m happy with the v4. I would have no problem recommending it. Heltec have upped the build quality in this revision. But don’t expect it to be a miracle cure for enhanced range. It might get you a little more reach, but there’s no getting around the line of sight limitations of 915MHz.

Great upgrade from v3
I was incredibly excited to receive the newly released Heltec LoRa V4 development board. I have been utilizing the V3 version for quite some time now, primarily for applications involving Meshtastic, Meshcore, and Reticulum networking projects. The V4 model introduces several noteworthy improvements, including a significant increase in output power, an enhanced 2.4GHz antenna for improved signal strength, the inclusion of a solar charging input for greater operational flexibility, and other optimizations. Remarkably, it maintains pin and form factor compatibility with the V3, meaning that most existing cases and accessories remain usable, simplifying the upgrade process.This board is of high quality, featuring a polycarbonate cover over the OLED display, which effectively protects the screen from scratches and any potential damage. The package includes two power connectors with wires, pin headers, and the board itself. Firmware installation was extremely straightforward, and everything is functioning as expected. Overall, it’s an excellent little mesh board, especially considering the price.