How Long Does a Meshtastic Battery Last?

A Meshtastic battery lasts anywhere from about half a day to several days per charge, depending mostly on battery size and how hard the radio works. Our Walkie Textie gets about 12 hours of useful run time from a small 250 mAh battery. Larger batteries stretch that, color screens, GPS and constant Bluetooth shorten it, and a solar relay can keep running on its own.

What uses the most power on a Meshtastic radio?

A Meshtastic radio is always listening, so it has a steady baseline draw even when nothing is happening. On top of that, a few things add up quickly.

Transmitting. Every message you send costs power, and so does every message your radio relays for someone else. Radios also send automatic broadcasts, such as their name, telemetry and position, on a schedule. A busy mesh or short broadcast intervals mean more transmissions and a shorter charge.

The screen. A lit color screen is one of the bigger draws on a handheld. An OLED screen that times out helps, and an e-ink screen only uses power when the image changes, which is a big reason e-ink radios last longer.

GPS. A GPS receiver searching for satellites draws real power. Sharing position less often, or turning GPS off when you don't need it, extends run time noticeably.

Bluetooth. Keeping the radio paired to your phone adds some drain on both devices. It's worth it while you're actively messaging, less so when the radio is sitting in a bag.

How big are the batteries in common Meshtastic radios?

Battery capacity is the easiest number to compare, though the chip and screen matter as much as capacity. Here's what the radios we carry ship with.

• Walkie Textie, 250 mAh, no screen, about 12 hours of useful run time
• LILYGO T-Echo, 850 mAh, e-ink screen, very low power nRF52840 chip
• WisMesh Tag, 1000 mAh, card-sized with GPS
• LILYGO T-Deck Plus, 2000 mAh, color screen and keyboard (3000 mAh on the Complete version)
• WisMesh Pocket v2, 3200 mAh, OLED screen and GPS

Two radios with the same battery can still run very differently. The T-Deck carries a lot of battery, but it also powers a color screen and keyboard, so it needs it. The T-Echo has a smaller battery but is built around low power parts. The Walkie Textie's RAK4630 module is built on the same low power nRF52840 chip, which is how it gets a usable day out of a battery small enough to fit in a Zyn can.

How can you make a charge last longer?

Most of the gains come from settings, not hardware. A few changes make a difference.

• Lengthen the interval between automatic position and telemetry broadcasts
• Turn GPS off on radios that don't need to share location
• Set the screen to time out quickly, or keep it off when you aren't looking at it
• Disconnect Bluetooth when the radio is stashed and you aren't messaging
• Use Meshtastic's power saving options on radios that support them

Be careful with one thing. Device roles change how a radio relays and sleeps, and setting a handheld to a relay-focused role to "help the mesh" usually costs battery and can make the local mesh worse. Our guide to Meshtastic device roles explains which role fits which radio. Cold weather also cuts lithium battery capacity, so expect less run time in winter.

When does a solar relay make sense?

Handhelds are meant to be charged. A radio that should run unattended, like a relay on a roof, pole or hilltop, needs its own power. The Atlavox Beacon Solar Meshtastic Node puts the radio, solar panel, enclosure and antenna rail in one frame, so you mount it high and it keeps passing messages between radios that can't reach each other directly. If you'd rather build one, our deployable Meshtastic repeater build guide covers the parts and power setup.

For a household plan, the practical answer is to keep handhelds topped off with a USB-C power bank or two, and put any always-on radio on solar or wall power.

Common questions

Can I charge a Meshtastic radio from a power bank?

Yes. Most handheld Meshtastic radios charge over USB, and the Walkie Textie uses USB-C, so an ordinary power bank works. A small power bank in a go-bag can recharge a low power radio several times.

Does leaving a radio on the charger hurt the battery?

Radios with built-in charging circuits stop charging the battery when it's full, so a radio used as a home node on USB power is normal. Keep it out of heat, which is harder on lithium batteries than staying plugged in.

Does the radio use power when I'm not sending messages?

Yes. It listens constantly and relays other people's traffic, and it sends its own automatic broadcasts. That's why idle run time is shorter than people expect on a busy mesh.

Which radio has the longest battery life?

Radios that pair a large battery with low power parts and no color screen tend to last longest, which makes the WisMesh Pocket v2 and its 3200 mAh battery a strong choice among the radios we carry. Your settings will matter as much as the model.

If long run time with a screen is what you want, take a look at the WisMesh Pocket v2.