Imagine a wireless repeater that lasts five years on nothing but a PVC pipe and a stack of D batteries. Sounds too good to be true, right? But that's exactly what [Bertrand Selva] achieved with his ingenious LoRaTube project (https://hackaday.io/project/203696-loratube). And this is the part most people miss: it's not just about longevity—it's about simplicity, affordability, and ruggedness in a world obsessed with complexity.
LoRa technology has revolutionized long-range, low-power wireless communication, and its popularity is evident in the countless projects built around it (https://hackaday.com/tag/lora/). LoRaTube takes this a step further by packaging an autonomous repeater entirely within a PVC pipe. The antenna protrudes from the top, while the interior houses all the essential hardware, powered by a stack of D-sized alkaline cells connected to a supercapacitor-buffered power supply—a design [Bertrand] crafted himself. The result? A weatherproof, self-contained unit that’s not only inexpensive but also boasts an incredibly low standby current, ensuring it can operate for a solid five years.
But here's where it gets controversial: While you could build a LoRa repeater in about an hour using off-the-shelf components (https://hackaday.com/2019/05/02/simple-self-contained-lora-repeater-in-about-an-hour/), the costs of supporting electronics, enclosures, and off-grid deployment can skyrocket. Solar panels, charge controllers, and rechargeable batteries add complexity and potential points of failure. [Bertrand]'s approach? Embrace simplicity. Eighteen D-sized alkaline cells stacked in a PVC tube are not only affordable but also remarkably durable, especially when they deliver years of uninterrupted operation.
In the video below (in French), [Bertrand] demonstrates setting up a LoRaTube repeater and conducting a range test. The project’s source code and CAD files are available on the project page—though the adorable black outdoor helper cat is, unfortunately, not included. This project challenges the notion that advanced technology requires advanced complexity. Is [Bertrand] onto something, or is the world ready to move beyond batteries and PVC? Let us know what you think in the comments!
