Availability of the LoRa addon case in pine64 shop

[deuitpym]

I have interest in the Pinephone only because of the LoRa case:
https://pine64.com/product/pinephone-pin...d-on-case/

This is to my knowledge the first and only phone product that can run mainline linux and have lora kind of build in thanks to this case.

When would this case be available again to order? Without this case i am also not really interested in the phone itself.

[zetabeta]

I have interest in the Pinephone only because of the LoRa case:
https://pine64.com/product/pinephone-pin...d-on-case/

This is to my knowledge the first and only phone product that can run mainline linux and have lora kind of build in thanks to this case.

When would this case be available again to order? Without this case i am also not really interested in the phone itself.

you don't need to directly answer, but what is your use case?

i wonder does usb version work for you?

pinephone's battery life is generally speaking bad, and pinephone only for lora usage doesn't sound a good idea. although regular pinephone is enough for that.

[deuitpym]

Usecase: Use something below 1Ghz to transfer data to have better range then 2.4Ghz WiFi and have no need for a mobile carrier. At least in my country its not legal to run an own 700/800Mhz LTE network.

USB - i wont even consider registering to this forum if usb would solve this. Then i would use just any random phone supported by postmarketOS. If the LTE modems from all regular people would have to be connected by USB, i think most people would have complains about such unhandy solution. How should i even put a usb-lora-adapter together with a phone into my jeans-pocket like most people carry their phones and then wait for this unhandy thing to vibrate to notify me about anything new?

Battery life - If i would have a phone that would fulfill this usecase for some hours and not a full day, then i would have a phone that would fulfill this usecase for some hours and not a full day. At the moment i have 0 seconds long lasting solution for this usecase.

[tllim]

I have interest in the Pinephone only because of the LoRa case:
https://pine64.com/product/pinephone-pin...d-on-case/

This is to my knowledge the first and only phone product that can run mainline linux and have lora kind of build in thanks to this case.

When would this case be available again to order? Without this case i am also not really interested in the phone itself.

Shipping ream locates few PinePhone LoRa add-on cases and just back in stock

[deuitpym]

Sadly i missed it and its again out of stock again (also out of stock in EU shop https://pine64eu.com/product/pinephone-p...d-on-case/ ).
Would be great if it could be restocked again. Its great to see that there is so much interest in this product to be sold out all the time. Maybe when you restock it with a higher amount, then there would be much more people making something great with it. For example the T-deck from Lilygo is also always sold out, its a huge amount worse from the hardware part then any pinephone and when available its not really that cheap.

[Kevin Kofler]

As I understand tllim's message, the last "restock" was really just some leftover items having been found in some hidden shelf. There was no new production run. So it is unfortunately unlikely that there will be any further restock. (See also the discussion about the keyboard case.)

[vincentpants]

Hi! Curious if there are any files available to be able to fabricate the lora (and hallow while we're at it!) backplates and flex pcb's? I would love to make them myself if they arent being planned on being sold anymore. Thanks!

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Look what I found! https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone_(...oRa_Add-on

You guys are the best! Are there any filese to print the case? I also noticed these are the just basic scematics and haven't found any GBR files either. Any guidance would be great, cheers!

[biketool]

If you cant find one available it is pretty easy to make one using a pogo-pin ribbon and a LoRa module, I cant remember the product mumber it might be on the LoRa caseback product page I think the module was under $5 a few years ago. Currently it is only serial communications where you need to write your own software.
if you go the DIY route it is super easy to cut a slit into a standard caseback and then kapton tapi it down then cover with ABS/acetone cement I just use 3D print ABS scraps and store in a polyethelyne bottle. It is literally among the easiest pogo-pin DIY hacks if you dont mind a melted ABS looking caseback.
(edit)It looks like there is an attiny inline to control the I2C so maybe not as easy