MeshTank - solar powered Meshtastic enclosure

MeshTank - solar powered Meshtastic case ☀️📡

A rugged outdoor enclosure designed for Meshtastic or Meshcore nodes that need to survive outside 24/7.

Powered by external solar panels and built with plenty of internal space for batteries, filters and custom hardware.

The enclosure uses 3 solar panels (11 × 5.5 cm) mounted directly to the shell with adhesive.

Inside you’ll find enough room for different board layouts and battery configurations.
In my build I used a single 18650 cell, but there is enough space for multiple cells if needed.

☀️ Solar Powered

Designed for long-term outdoor deployment.

The angled solar panel layout helps maximize exposure throughout the day while keeping the enclosure compact and robust.

🔋 Hardware Used (my build)

Example setup:

📡 Faketec v6

☀️ Solar charging module

🔋 1× 18650 Li-ion cell (3600mAh)

📶 868MHz filter

🧩 Internal layout is intentionally spacious, allowing different Meshtastic / Meshcore boards, battery packs and custom modules.

🛠️ Bottom Cover

The bottom cover uses M3 screws and includes a raised sealing lip to help reduce water ingress.

Pro Tip

Pause the print at the correct layer, remove the support material and insert M3 nuts into the dedicated slots.

Resume the print afterwards.

This permanently locks the nuts inside the enclosure and creates a much stronger mounting solution.

(That’s exactly how I built mine.)

🌧️ Outdoor Use

If you plan to keep the node outside permanently, choose your filament wisely.

Standard PLA may deform over time when exposed to heat and sunlight.

For long-term outdoor installations I would recommend:

✅ PETG

✅ ASA

✅ PC blends

✅ Glass-fiber reinforced materials

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cheers 🍻