1W mesh kit - how to check actual output?

WisBlock
1

Please include the following information, in order for us to help you as effectively as possible.

  • Product: Rak 1W kit (RAK3401 & RAK13302)
  • Firmware: MeshCore stable v1.16.0

The problem: I’m a big dummy and put a RP-SMA antenna on a regular SMA connector so the center pin for the transmission to the antenna wasn’t connected. I had USB plugged in but no external 5v or battery connected at the time. Firmware was set to 22 dBm output power and I only tried sending a couple messages, perhaps less than 10.

How do I check the final amplifiers to ensure I didin’t burn them out? Other MC nodes in the same vicinity seem to receive and transmit just fine to the Rak now that it has the proper antenna polarity on it.

Thanks!
Ted

2

Welcome to the forum @chicagoted

Unless you have a RF signal measurement tool (simpliest would be an SDR) you can only check the RSSI levels you see on other nodes that are in range of the 1W Mesh Kit.