General Particle questions (complete noob)

[RyanReese09]

@justicefreed_amper

The issue is this: the Boron is way overbuilt for just tracking. It’s made to be a full-blown, user-programmable microprocessor system with Cloud access built in. It’s not optimized to be a production-ready asset tracker. You can make it one, but if you just want to own an asset tracker , you are not likely to save money. If you want to do custom stuff with an asset tracker, yes it makes sense. If you want to learn and grow in your hardware / DIY skills, absolutely it makes sense.

Thank you for that explanation. So just for an asset/GPS tracker, it's overblown, but it'd be great for learning.

@justicefreed_amper

It’s not optimized to be a production-ready asset tracke

Your explanation makes sense.

@justicefreed_amper

Not really, no. Bluetooth doesn’t get you to the internet. Bluetooth connects you to another local device. So you would have to setup another device anyways, so it would only make sense to use a Xenon if you already setup a mesh network for home automation with an Argon.

I'm not sure why I asked that bluetooth question, obviously bluetooth isn't the same as being on the Internet, derp.

@justicefreed_amper

I mean, looks like a fantastic product. If the 3 mi limitation works for you and reviews are good in urban environments (eg building reflections, line of sight), and all you need is a tracker, I bet it would be great to have!

It would, that's why I thought to try to build something similar but DIY! It'd be fun to have this as a hobby.

So I took another look at that tutorial you gave. It seems to be great.

@justicefreed_amper

That said, the link I posted is about as simple as it gets. By using this shield instead you don’t need to use the Tripler or the OLED screen (which you don’t seem to need). If you just skip those parts, you can still follow the tutorial exactly. It doesn’t get much simpler than:

This is probably a stupid question, but is there a good place to buy soldering equipment for this project? I'm starting from scratch! If all soldering is the same, I can just grab whatever from homedepot, or wherever (amazon, etc).

So my hardware I need is..

1. Boron (52)
2. That GPS Shield (40)

@Moors7

Optional, but highly recommended parts

• CR1220 3V lithium coin cell battery — used with the GPS module to keep the real-time clock (RTC) powered and allow warm starts .
• SMA-to-uFL RF adapter cable — Most GPS antennas use an SMA connector, but most boards use smaller uFL connectors. This cable lets you connect them together.
• GPS antenna — A bigger, more powerful antenna that will get you a better satellite fix more quickly.

Do you think these parts are worth getting? And how's it powered if the coin cell battery is optional? From particles website

Mesh networks. It is based on the Nordic nRF52840 and has built-in battery charging circuitry so it’s easy to connect a Li-Po

So I'd still need a LiPo? The tutorial doesn't have it, so I assume I don't need one, but I'm just curious...thanks for baring with me.

Actually, the article says it assumes Boron is set up, and when I go to particles setup website...https://setup.particle.io/

It mentions that I need the LiPo battery, a USB cable, and a cellular antenna?