Heltec, development board

Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V4

Name: Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V4
Brand: Heltec

An inexpensive ESP32-S3 LoRa development board, successor to the widely used V3. Good for tinkering; not a finished radio.

Manufacturer specs only Not yet available Meshtastic MeshCore

Catalog note. Seed catalog named the V3. Heltec now lists the V4 as its successor, so this page covers the V4.

Best for

Experimenters and fixed indoor nodes on a budget.

Photo pending: we only show images we own or are licensed to use.

Strengths

SX1262 with a high-power version rated 28 dBm (Heltec).
Battery, solar (4.7 to 6 V) and GNSS connectors (Heltec).
Meshtastic and MeshCore builds named by Heltec, with minimum versions.

Limitations

Bare board: you add battery, enclosure and antenna.
V4-R8 MeshCore build listed by Heltec as pending merge.
Higher transmit power means V3 code settings may not map directly (Heltec).

What it does not do

Arrive as a finished emergency radio: no case, battery or GPS by default.
Make high-power operation automatically legal. Antenna and output settings must stay within rules.

Specifications

From the cited source on 2026-10-26. "Not verified" means no source we checked published it.

MCU / radio	ESP32-S3R2 (V4) or ESP32-S3R8 (V4-R8) / SX1262^[1]
Max TX power	28 dBm high-power version; 22 dBm low-power^[1]
Frequency	902 to 928 MHz store option for US^[1]
Connectors	Battery 1.25 mm 2-pin; solar 1.25 mm 2-pin; GNSS 8-pin^[1]
Antenna connector	IPEX 1.0^[1]
Dimensions	51.7 x 25.4 x 10.7 mm^[1]
Firmware minimums	Meshtastic above 2.7.20; MeshCore above 1.15^[1]

Compatibility

Check	Status	Basis
Meshtastic	Documented: documented	Heltec names Meshtastic builds; listed on Meshtastic supported hardware.
MeshCore	Documented: documented	Heltec names MeshCore above 1.15 for V4; V4-R8 build pending.
Frequency	902 to 928 MHz (US store option)	US LoRa operation uses the 902 to 928 MHz band. Set the region in firmware.
Role	companion, repeater	Usually paired with a phone or computer app.

"Documented" means the maker or project publishes support for this model. It does not mean we tested it. How we rate compatibility.

MeshCore and Meshtastic are separate firmware and network systems. Check the exact hardware model, firmware, regional radio setting and local coverage before buying. These low-data-rate systems do not replace emergency services or broadband.

Operate radio equipment within your local frequency, power and equipment-authorization rules. Firmware compatibility is not regulatory approval.

Before you buy

IPEX connectors are fragile. Use a pigtail to a panel-mount SMA for anything that moves.

Sources

WiFi LoRa 32 V4, Heltec Automation (manufacturer), read 2026-10-26.
Meshtastic: Supported Hardware Overview, Meshtastic (project), read 2026-10-26.

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