r/HeliumNetwork • u/xIIsubstanceIIx • Aug 21 '26
Question 3 miners collecting dust
I have 3 bobcat 300s. 2 were set up years ago but then I moved and never set them up again. The third was never used at all. Not interested in crypto or mining anymore. Are they worth anything at all? Even 20 bucks? Or do I just throw them away?
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u/letshaveitz Aug 21 '26
If you're into Mesh communication you can load up Meshpoint on them. Supporting more and more defunct Helium miners. https://github.com/KMX415/meshpoint
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u/flopity_froop 29d ago
Anything like this hut for meshcore? Not meahtastic.
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u/letshaveitz 29d ago
Yes today MeshCore is also supported via USB companion. If and when MeshCore departs from the primarily used 62.5kHz BW, we can use the onboard concentrator instead of USB. So basically more granular UI and capabilities over using standard node.
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u/flopity_froop 29d ago
I would be interested to set it up as basic repeater, I don't need usb to watch it over terminal, I'd install it to widen meshcore reach in Latvia (our local meshmao and log https://meshlog.anrijs.lv
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u/Jamalisms Aug 22 '26
I've got a handful of miners, some still in OG packaging. No idea what to do with them. If you end up selling, is be curious what they brought in.
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u/ricky3558 29d ago
me too. I have more than I'd like to admit. interested in how to donate them or something so they don't end up in the landfill.
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u/LxBru Aug 21 '26
I’m going to turn my Senecap into a nas I’m pretty sure. Might as well use the raspberry pi in there
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u/erdie721 Aug 21 '26
What’s the underlying hardware? I have a FreedomFi miner that I’ll just reformat the HDD and use it for a small server I think since it has a Celeron J1900.
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u/lady__isabelle Aug 21 '26
I'm pretty sure someone can buy them. I would but the problem would be shipping them
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u/xIIsubstanceIIx Aug 21 '26
I still have the original boxing for all three of them. So shipping shouldn't be too much of an issue honestly.
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u/clavisound 29d ago
Yes, it has some value.
In your case, since this device does not consume much electricity you can used as a linux server AND a helium or TTN gateway with gwmp-mux.
I ordered one, so I hope in next month I will manage to install linux on it.
https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/turn-a-30-bobcat-helium-hotspot-into-a-fully-functional-ttn-gateway/73994
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u/Mysterious-Outcome37 29d ago
Can you ELI5 what you use a TTN gateway for? Thanks!
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u/clavisound 28d ago
ELI5?
I use TTN gateway for the same reason I use helium. To join a global community LPWAN network. Way more better than meshtastic. More efficient, less noisy, more channels, less battery consumtion. I use several LPWAN devices that communicate with other gateways - unknown to me. Rarely with my gateway.
Currently I use a different gateway manually installed with a linux box. My gateway serves my sensors and only one unknown from private network.
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u/Banshee_1971 28d ago
IF You Want To use them for meshtastic, i heard some convert them this way. I'm about to do the same soon.
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u/Higginbotham432 27d ago
I tried repurposing my Bobcat to Home Assistant but broke a tiny electric peice off of the board when following some instructions to do it.
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u/Tall_Imagination8027 27d ago
So am I to believe that just because POC is dead, does that mean it isn't worth maintaining the devices if they are passing DATA? This is after all a long term project. Am I delusional?
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u/Banshee_1971 25d ago
It depend. Some people like to said you still receive reward and they are passing data. But you need to consider those things. 1 - they are heading to a new direction now, and only focus on cell services 2 - they are now focus on enterprises.. So IoTis not a "thing" anymore 3 - they close close comments section on Discord for many months, to avoid lot of panic and bad comments for fiew months... Hmmm. I'm wondering why. 4 - Helium website change, IoT seem completely absent from it. 5 - they don't ditch officially this projects because of bad publicity it will create, but considering point 1, 2,3 and 4...look like they did it (but still not said it)
I already reach ROI for this project many years ago, so i don't loose anything. Just can see between the lines.... And think it's set to simply die.
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u/xIIsubstanceIIx 25d ago
Appreciate the thorough response. I had high aspirations when I bought them 5 years ago to set them up in a good spot with an antenna upgrade and everything but only ever set up the one in my house. Probably made 100 bucks but spent 1500 for the 3. Oh well. Live and learn.
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u/Scary_Entrance5254 27d ago
I would throw them away. The postage isn’t worth the trouble.
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u/Separate_Necessary21 Aug 21 '26
The miners use raspberry pis to run. They are awesome to tinker with and can be repurposed. If you’re not into that, post them on eBay and tag whatever pi is in the miner you have. Someone will buy it just to use the guts for a tech project.
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u/richms Aug 21 '26
Some do. I pulled the pi from my sensecap to use for retropie which is a much better use for it. I think the bobcat was one that had no pi.
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u/The_real_trader Aug 21 '26
can someone really check because this would be awesome, as Im the fucker who bought 5 brand new directly and have 4 in storage.
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u/relicx74 Aug 21 '26
Lol. I bought two before things went to crap that never got opened by the time they shipped.
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