All,
Last week Haskell Maroney (K5HRM) sent me an email reference a Delta Pro Proto NPH-1 evaluation and writeup he had read. He commented on the cost of the item and at $250 retail it is substantially higher than any other Meshtastic device that I have read up on or looked at (or bought). But, it does come with a lot of pluses as compared to some of my recent buys. Thank you for the tip Haskell, looking at these details I also went to the manufacturer’s site and I was very impressed with their offerings.
Last week the Beall’s took delivery of these 2 Set ESP32 LoRa V3 Development Board with 915MHz Antenna + 3000mAh Battery + Meshtastic Case, ESP32-S3 SX1262 Integrated WiFi Bluetooth OLED Display for Arduino LoRaWAN IOT (N32, Blue) ($75). In an example of you get what you pay for, these come as a parts kit you have to build. OK, I’m handy and I got a kick out of building them, but the clearly poor quality 3D printed cases were a disappointment. Calling the case a poor fit is being kind.
As I started off above, the device profiled in My Newest Mesh Node is the Delta Pro Proto NPH-1 (Nephilim Persistent Heavy). In short, it is professional grade. From the article “The NPH-1 is CNC-machined from solid 6061-T6 aluminum billet right here in the USA, then Cerakoted in a tough Vera Black finish.” It also has a waterproof USB-C port and all ports are covered. If it isn’t already, it may as well be called MILSPEC because it is, in a word, robust. And unlike many of the devices you will look at, it “ships preloaded with Meshtastic firmware, ready to pair with your phone via Bluetooth and start building or joining a mesh right out of the box.”
The writeup My Newest Mesh Node (link here) is short, but in the review he links to a video evaluation that he did. And if you want to go right to their site and see their very detailed evaluation, the manufacturer has a page titled NPH-1: The Ultimate Off-Grid Messaging Device that covers it all. It is an exhaustive list of features of the unit and a lot, I mean a lot, of comparisons to other’s equipment. I suggest you check out NPH-1: The Ultimate Off-Grid Messaging Device (link here) while you are familiarizing yourself with the item.
OK, it is 0445 and I’m loading up to head to the DFW HAM EXPO. So far I only know of Steven Lott Smith (KG5VK) and myself going, but I’ll hope to see some of you there. Maybe one of these things will be there where I can get hands on. 😎👍🏼
73
Phillip Beall (W5EBC)