RAKwireless WisMesh Tag is a thin and rugged Meshtastic GPS LoRa tracker designed for off-grid location tracking and messaging. The 7.5mm thick device is pre-flashed with Meshtastic, dust and waterproof (IP66-rated), and powered by a 1,000mAh battery.
Internally, it is built around a Nordic Semi nRF52840 wireless SoC and a Semtech SX1262 LoRa transceiver. Contrary to most DIY trackers, the device is fully certified (FCC and CE), so users across Europe and North America can deploy it for personal or professional use.
WisMesh Tag specifications:
- SoC –  Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840
- CPU – 32-bit Arm Cortex-M4F microcontroller @ 64 MHz
- Memory – 256 KB RAM
- Storage – 1 MB flash
- Wireless – Bluetooth 5, Thread, ANT, Bluetooth Mesh, 802.15.4 (Zigbee), 2.4 GHz proprietary
- LoRa – Semtech SX1262 RF transceiver
- GNSS – AT6558R GNSS module
- Misc
- Built-in LoRa, BLE, and GPS antennas
- Reset/Bootloader button
- User Button for alarms, alerts, or future customization
- Heartbeat, BLE, and charging LEDs
- Power
- 1000mAh internal battery
- Magnetic Charge Port
- Dimensions – 92 x 59 x 7.5mm
- Temperature range – -20°C to +60°C
- IP Rating – IP66
The device ships with a lanyard and a 4-pin magnetic pogo pin USB cable for charging. It’s designed to work out of the box with instant Meshtastic setup, enhanced GPS accuracy, and a design suitable for outdoor tracking and messaging.
If you’ve ever used a Meshtastic device, you may not even need to read the documentation, but RAKwireless still provides some, mainly for the initial setup using the front button. It reminds me of the Seeed Studio T1000-E credit card-sized Meshtastic GPS tracker, and RAKwireless clearly created the WisMesh Tag as a competitor since they provide a comparison table between the two products which I slightly edited with additional data.
| Features | WisMesh Tag | Seeed Studio T1000-E |
|---|---|---|
| Battery Capacity | 1,000mAh | 700mAh |
| Waterproof Rating | IP66 | IP65 |
| GPS Fix Time | Optimized for quicker fixes | 5–10 minutes |
| Reset / Boot Mode Access | Reset and boot mode button | None |
| Sensors | N/A | Temperature, light, and 3-axis IMU |
| Button Design | Comfortable tactile button | Feels firmer, may require slightly more pressure |
| Form Factor | Credit card + smarter layout - 92 x 59 x 7.5mm | Credit card - 85 x 55 x 6.5mm |
| Temperature Range | -20°C to +60°C | -20°C to +60°C |
| Price | $39.00 | $39.90 |
Both devices have about the same price and features are similar, but RAKwireless claims a faster GPS fix. One potential benefit of the Seeed Studio device is the presence of sensors, but it’s not clear how many people use those. I assume the IMU could potentially be used to extend the battery life by only updating GPS coordinates if movement is detected.
The WisMesh Tag can be purchased for $39 from the RAKwireless store, or $50 from Amazon. Alternatively, if you prefer the T1000-E, you can get it for $39.99 on Seeed Studio or $50.99 on Amazon.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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