LoRa Radio Node v1 Case

thingiverse

This is a solid case for the LoRa Radio Node v1 board available on eBay and AliExpress. It comes in two versions: one that's just the blank case, and another with the top half of the case featuring a cutout for a 0.96 inch OLED display (SSD1306), space to mount a GPS receiver, and room for a TTP223 capacitive touch sensor. The antenna is cleverly mounted inside a stripped Stabilo fineliner pen. I compared RSSI values with the antenna in free air against it inside the fineliner and found that the one inside the fineliner got a steady +3dbm stronger RSSI. By cutting the fineliner in half, pushing the antenna completely inside it, and routing the coax cable as seen in the pictures, I increased the RSSI by another 11dbm. To make the case watertight, I used a 1.5x120mm rubber band like this one (https://www.staples.de/gummiringe-und-bander/cbs/8991752.html), cut it to size, and pressed it into the groove of the bottom case. I also superglued the fineliner in place, which seemed to protect the electronics from normal rain during my testing period. Keep in mind that there's no guarantee this design will remain watertight. You'll need two M3x4mm screws to secure the LoRa board to the case and four M3x12mm screws to firmly close the case if you want it to be completely waterproof. If you've printed a custom case for your LoRa board, please share your Make and let me know how you improved the design and reception! Thanks in advance!