Illustration, not a product photo.
Heltec Automation · Dev board
Heltec Wireless Tracker
Inexpensive GPS-equipped ESP32 board with a small color screen for tracker experiments.
Meshtastic: officially supportedMeshCore: supported
From $22.90List price on heltec.org, checked November 1, 2026
At a glance
Battery
Not included
GPS
Yes
Screen
Color
Water resistance
Not listed
Chip
ESP32-S3 (Wi-Fi)
List price
From $22.90
Strengths
- GPS built in for sharing your position
- ESP32-S3 with Wi-Fi, needed for features like MQTT over Wi-Fi
- Runs either Meshtastic or MeshCore
Trade-offs
- No battery included; check the connector before buying one
- ESP32 boards draw more power than nRF52 boards, per Meshtastic docs
Based on published specs, not hands-on testing.
Specifications
| Type | Dev board (with GNSS) |
|---|---|
| Processor | ESP32-S3 (ESP32-S3FN8) |
| LoRa radio | SX1262 |
| US 915 MHz version | Yes (902-928 MHz band option on heltec.org.) |
| Screen | TFT LCD 0.96 in (160x80) |
| Keyboard | No |
| GPS | Yes (UC6580 multi-constellation GNSS (heltec.org).) |
| Battery | None included; SH1.25-2 battery connector (connector included in packing list) |
| Solar input | Not stated. |
| Wi-Fi | Yes, 802.11 b/g/n |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5 (LE) |
| Water resistance | Not listed |
| List price | $22.90 (heltec.org.) |
Checked November 1, 2026. "Not listed" means the maker and official docs don't state it.
Known issues and cautions
From the maker's documentation and the official Meshtastic docs.
- Meshtastic docs: do not proceed (flash/transmit) without an antenna connected.
- Meshtastic docs: possible battery-charging issues with USB-C to USB-C cables.
- Meshtastic docs: Heltec revised to V1.1; most units sold are V1.1. Heltec FAQ: V1.1 changed GNSS power-control pin.
Similar devices
- Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V3 / V3.1 Dev board, $17.90–$19.90
- Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V4 Dev board, $17.90–$27.50
- Heltec Wireless Tracker V2 Dev board, $30.90
- Heltec Wireless Paper (V1.1) Dev board, $19.90
Compare Heltec Wireless Tracker with Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V3 / V3.1 and Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V4
Sources
- meshtastic.org/docs/hardware/devices/heltec-automation/lora32/
- meshtastic.org/docs/hardware/devices/
- heltec.org/project/wireless-tracker/
- github.com/meshcore-dev/flasher.meshcore.io/blob/main/config.json
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