Articles on Luca Bolanz · Blog

Defective Walter 20V Li-Ion Battery – Complete Teardown and Measurement

Sun, 16 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Very Important Safety Warning
Li-Ion batteries store enormous amounts of energy and can burst into flames or explode instantly if short-circuited, damaged, or handled incorrectly. Opening the pack carries a real risk of serious injury or death. I accept no responsibility for property damage, personal injury, or worse. This post is purely a personal experience report and is not an invitation to copy it. If you’re unsure, simply take the battery to your local recycling centre – that is the safest and most environmentally friendly option.

Getting Started with Meshtastic: Antenna Selection

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In this post, I share my experiences with four antennas for 868 MHz LoRa applications. All measurements were conducted using my LiteVNA and summarized in a table with manufacturer specifications. The antennas—ZIISOR SMA-J 3.5 dBi, the SMA-Male rubber antenna often included with LilyGo and Heltec devices, the CDEBYTE TX868-BLG-26 fiberglass antenna and the Alfa 868 5acm—were tested for their performance and suitability for LoRa projects. All antennas and test equipment were purchased privately by me. First, an overview of common connector types to understand their differences and applications.

Getting Started with Meshtastic: Your First Steps in Device Selection

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

As an enthusiastic maker and IoT enthusiast, I have experimented intensively with Meshtastic in the last few months. Meshtastic is an open platform for LoRa-based mesh networks and is perfect for tinkerers who want to chat text-based without internet. It is excellent for outdoor adventures, remote monitoring, or simply for the fun of tinkering.

Pixelure Whip Antenna Review

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction #

Affordable whip antennas for the 868 MHz band can quickly catch your attention, especially when sold as a set of five. The promise is tempting: 10 dBi gain for extended LoRa range, all at a budget-friendly price. I decided to take a closer look at the Pixelure 10 dBi 868 MHz Whip Antenna 5-pack and put them to the test using a LiteVNA. Unfortunately, the results were far from impressive.