# Cheap RNode DIY Boards

_Build Guides · started by N on Fri, Mar 20, 2026 5:56 PM_

---

## Original post

**N** · Fri, Mar 20, 2026 5:56 PM

What is the most affordable boards for building RNodes? Are there any good DIY boards that people have had success with that lowers the per-unit price?

I like the Heltec V4, but I want to find/build a board for cheaper. Any suggestions?

---

## Reply 1

**Anonymous** · Fri, Mar 20, 2026 8:38 PM

Found here: https://github.com/varna9000/micropython-reticulum

The Seeed XIAO ESP32S3 + Wio-SX1262 sound really cheap! Not sure about the project though. 6s processing time for a single announc verification.. sounds really slow.

---

## Reply 2

**joakim** · Sun, Mar 22, 2026 2:28 PM

[FakeTec](https://github.com/gargomoma/fakeTec_pcb) is cheap when building 5+. I don't now if anybody's gotten it to work yet, but there is [this PR](https://github.com/liberatedsystems/RNode_Firmware_CE/pull/98) that appears to add support for it. I'm slowly working on my own board based on the earlier more basic version, with [E22-x00M22S](https://www.cdebyte.com/products/E22-900M22S) (either the 433 MHz or 868/915 MHz version) instead of HT-RA62. Should be roughly the same price, in the region of $10.

You can go even cheaper than that on a breadboard:
https://unsigned.io/guides/2022_01_26_how-to-make-your-own-rnodes.html

---