Hi everyone!
I’m really excited to share a project I’ve been working on: Victron LoRaBLE Remote.
It started with a simple question:
How do you remotely switch on your boat’s 4G/5G router… without leaving that router powered on all the time?
My answer: let a small LoRaWAN controller receive that first command, then switch on the equipment you actually need!
The little box in the photo is built around RAK WisBlock hardware. It receives a LoRaWAN command and can perform a local Bluetooth action or operate a relay. That opens up some really useful possibilities for boats, campervans and off-grid installations.
What’s inside?
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Device profiles for Victron Smart MPPT and Smart BatteryProtect, plus configurable generic Bluetooth GATT commands. Supported models and profile details are documented on GitHub.
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Up to 10 named Bluetooth functions for your configured target device.
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Optional relay switching and 12–24V input triggers with separate actions when voltage appears or disappears.
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A local WiFi configuration interface in English and Dutch.
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Multiple LoRaWAN network profiles with priority and fallback settings, for your own gateway or a network such as The Things Network.
My favourite use case is waking up a boat’s communications equipment only when it’s needed: send the first command over LoRaWAN, turn on the router through Bluetooth (LOAD output on a Smart MPPT) or a relay, and then let the router provide the normal internet connection.
The LoRaWAN controller and gateway/network still need power and coverage, of course, but that’s only a few mAh. The saving comes from leaving the larger equipment switched off between uses.
The project is on GitHub, with source code, hardware information, configuration instructions and examples:
Victron LoRaBLE Remote on GitHub
The project code is available under the MIT licence. I’d love to see other people build on it, suggest device profiles, or find uses I haven’t thought of!
What would YOU wake up with a little box like this? 
Roel
