Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V4 — ESP32-S3 + SX1262 LoRa Board, 27 dBm High Power (EU868)

Everything the V3 does, but with more power and better RF. The Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V4 is the next generation of the most popular Meshtastic board, delivering 27 dBm transmit power (vs ~20 dBm on the V3), a 6-layer PCB with immersion gold process for superior signal integrity, and a built-in Wi-Fi/Bluetooth antenna. Same size. Same pinout. Drop-in upgrade.

If you're buying your first Heltec board today, start here. If you already have V3 projects, the V4 slots in without changing a thing.

What's New vs the V3?

The extra transmit power translates to noticeably more range — especially useful for home base stations, MQTT gateways, and repeater nodes where every dB counts.

Key Features

• 27 dBm (28±1 dBm) transmit power — significantly more range than the V3's ~20 dBm. Ideal for base stations and nodes that need to reach further
• ESP32-S3 dual-core processor — 240 MHz, 2 MB PSRAM, 16 MB Flash
• SX1262 LoRa transceiver — full compatibility with all Meshtastic and MeshCore devices
• 0.96" OLED display — messages, node info, signal strength, battery status
• WiFi + Bluetooth 5.0 — MQTT gateway, web config, phone pairing
• 6-layer PCB with immersion gold — better ground plane, cleaner RF path, improved signal integrity over the V3's 4-layer design
• Lithium battery management — onboard charge/discharge, overcharge protection, auto USB/battery switching
• Solar panel input — dedicated solar connector for outdoor deployments
• IPEX (U.FL) LoRa antenna connector — upgrade to a higher-gain antenna for even more range
• Type-C USB — power, firmware flashing, serial debugging
• EU868 frequency band

What Can You Do with It?

• High-power Meshtastic / MeshCore node — the extra 7 dB of transmit power means roughly 2× the range of a V3 in comparable conditions
• Home base station — keep it plugged in at home as a permanent mesh relay. The V4's power makes it the best Heltec choice for this role
• MQTT gateway — bridge your local LoRa mesh to the internet. The built-in WiFi makes this trivial
• Solar-powered outdoor node — connect a 5V solar panel and a Li-Po battery for autonomous off-grid operation
• LoRaWAN sensor node or custom IoT project — Arduino, PlatformIO, and ESP-IDF support

Good to Know

Like the V3, this is an ESP32-based board — higher power consumption than nRF52 devices. Expect 1–2 days on battery. Best used on mains power, USB, or with a solar panel. For multi-day portable use, consider the WisMesh Pocket V2 (nRF52, 3200 mAh, 3–5 days).

Need built-in GPS? Check the Wireless Tracker V2 — same ESP32-S3 + SX1262 platform, but with integrated GNSS and a colour TFT display.

Firmware note: Meshtastic firmware 2.7.20 or higher is required for V4 support. MeshCore requires the dedicated V4.3 firmware build. Both are available via the respective web flashers.

Specs

• MCU: ESP32-S3 (Xtensa 32-bit LX7 dual-core, up to 240 MHz)
• Memory: 2 MB PSRAM, 16 MB Flash
• LoRa: Semtech SX1262
• Transmit power: 28±1 dBm
• Frequency: 868 MHz (EU868) — also supports 915 MHz (single multiband device)
• LoRa antenna: IPEX (U.FL) connector + included antenna
• WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz)
• Bluetooth: BLE 5.0
• Display: 0.96" 128×64 OLED
• USB: Type-C
• Battery: SH1.25-2 connector for 3.7V Li-Po (not included)
• Solar: Dedicated solar panel input connector
• Battery management: Integrated charge/discharge, overcharge protection
• PCB: 6-layer, immersion gold process
• Operating temperature: -20°C to +70°C
• Firmware: Meshtastic (≥2.7.20), MeshCore, LoRaWAN, Arduino, PlatformIO, ESP-IDF

What's in the Box

• 1 × Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V4 board
• 1 × 868 MHz LoRa antenna

Note: battery and USB cable are not included. The board is not pre-flashed — use the Meshtastic Web Flasher or MeshCore Flasher to install firmware in under 2 minutes.

Pair It With

• Flexible LoRa Whip Antenna 868 MHz — compact upgrade antenna for portable use. Plugs into the IPEX connector via pigtail. Dramatically better range than the included stock antenna
• McGill Outdoor Antennas (from €53.40) — for permanent base station setups, pair the V4's 27 dBm with a proper outdoor antenna via IPEX-to-N pigtail
• WisMesh Pocket V2 (€99) — V4 as home base, Pocket V2 in your pocket. Best of both worlds.