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LILYGO T-Embed CC1101 Plus review

A pocket ESP32-S3 device with a CC1101 sub-GHz radio and external antenna, for radio experimenters, with community firmware.

For experimenters

A CC1101 radio is a common tool for sub-GHz work.

Docs

Everything lives on GitHub.

Responsibility

Use it only on your own devices.

Where it earns its place, and where it falls short

Strengths

  • All-in-one radio toy
  • Open-source hardware
  • External antenna

Compromises

  • Radio laws apply
  • No printed manual
  • Costs about $75

Specifications

MCUESP32-S3
RadioCC1101 sub-GHz
AntennaExternal
DocsGitHub, LILYGO wiki
ConnectivityWi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB
Amazon ASINB0GT95D8X3
EAN0717974147715

Questions makers ask before buying

Is it legal to use?

Radio rules apply. In the US, follow FCC rules, and transmit only as allowed.

Is there a manual?

The listing points to GitHub and a wiki.

Our score

7.7/ 10

A specialist device for radio experiments within the law.

This one against the other workshop machines

workshop machines from the same category, at nearby prices. Only what all of them publish is shown: a column with holes compares nothing.

Model Price MCU
LILYGO T-Embed CC1101 Plus $75 ESP32-S3
Arduino UNO R4 WiFi $28 Renesas RA4M1 + ESP32-S3
Arduino Uno REV3 $28 ATmega328P, 16 MHz
Arduino Nano A000005 $26 ATmega328P

What sets the models apart, in workshop machines

  • If price decides: Arduino Nano A000005, at $26.

What use this one answers, among workshop machines

An experienced radio hobbyist.

Sources

Specifications: the manufacturer sheet for maker machines and tools and the matching Amazon product page. Prices and availability: Keepa. Every figure on this page names its source.

What we judge these workshop machines on

A price quoted in the text of a MakerVerdict page dates from the day that page was written; the live figure beside each product is fetched while you read and replaces it.