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B&Q Station G3

High-power Meshtastic base station for locations where you cannot get height. Specs, the FCC power limits that apply, and how to set one up on NWIMesh.

The Station G3 is a high-power Meshtastic base station from B&Q Consulting, and the successor to the Station G2 that several NWI members already run. It is the node you build when you cannot get height: instead of reaching further by going up, it reaches further by transmitting harder and hearing better.

It was the third most-loved device in our community survey, behind only the T1000-E and the solar P1-Pro.

Read the power section before you buy. This device can transmit at roughly 4.7 W. That is well above the 1 W ceiling FCC Part 15 sets for this band, so an unlicensed station must turn it down. Details below.

What it is

A modular base station: a motherboard plus two swappable daughterboards, so the radio or the processor can be upgraded later without replacing the whole unit.

Specification Station G3
Peak transmit power up to 36.8 dBm (~4.7 W) on US915
LoRa transceiver Semtech SX1262
Receive front end LNA with 10 to 16 dB dynamic gain, 1.5 dB typical noise figure
Frequency reference 32 MHz TCXO, ±1.5 ppm
Operating range 815 to 940 MHz
MCU daughterboard BQESP32V1M (ESP32-S3, 16 MB flash, 8 MB PSRAM)
RF daughterboard BQ35LORA900V1M
Display 1.3 inch OLED
Antenna SMA socket
Power USB-C PD 15 V, or DC5521 barrel 9 to 19 V, 25 W minimum
Expansion Raspberry Pi compatible 40-pin GPIO, WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0
GPS Optional, for experienced users
Price $109 (first batch, held at the old G2 price)

In the box: motherboard, both daughterboards, and a 915 MHz antenna. No USB cable, and it ships from Shenzhen.

The power question, and why it matters here

The two numbers that matter are the device's ~4.7 W capability and the 1 W (30 dBm) maximum conducted output power that 47 CFR 15.247 allows for digitally modulated systems in the 902 to 928 MHz band. There is a second rule underneath it: that 1 W assumes an antenna of 6 dBi or less, and above 6 dBi you must reduce power by however many dB the antenna exceeds 6 dBi.

So a 5 W node on an 8 dBi omni is not a slightly aggressive Part 15 station. It is not a Part 15 station at all.

You have two honest paths:

If you are not a licensed amateur: turn the transmit power down so the station stays within Part 15, and account for your antenna gain when you do. You still get the real prize, which is the receive side. The low-noise front end means the G3 hears nodes that other hardware misses, and hearing better helps the mesh whether or not you are shouting.

If you are a licensed amateur operating under Part 97 on 33 cm, the higher power is available to you, but Part 97 comes with conditions Meshtastic users routinely trip over: you may not transmit messages "encoded for the purpose of obscuring their meaning," and you must identify with your callsign. In practice that means turning encryption off and enabling the licensed-operator setting with your callsign. Our optional NWI encrypted channel is therefore off-limits while operating that way.

We are hobbyists, not lawyers, and this is not legal advice. If you are unsure, run it at Part 15 power. The mesh benefits from your receiver either way, and an over-powered node that drowns its neighbours helps nobody.

Who should get one

Good fit

  • You are stuck at low elevation: an apartment, a rental, a valley, anywhere a rooftop is not an option
  • You want the best receiver on the mesh at your location
  • You have mains power and a permanent indoor spot for it
  • You are already comfortable with antennas, coax, and configuration

Look elsewhere

  • You want something portable or battery powered: see the T1000-E or a handheld
  • You want a set-and-forget solar node: the SenseCAP P1-Pro is the right tool
  • This is your first node: start cheaper and simpler with the hardware guide
  • You cannot mount a decent outdoor antenna, in which case the extra power is mostly wasted heat

Setting one up for NWI

Flash and configure it exactly like any other node, using our standard settings: region US, preset and primary channel LongFast, hop limit 3, role CLIENT.

Three things specific to this device:

  1. Set the transmit power deliberately. This is the one setting you must not leave at maximum without deciding what you are doing. Work out your antenna gain and feedline loss first, then set power to match the path you have chosen above.
  2. Leave the role on CLIENT. A powerful radio is not a reason to become a ROUTER. Router behaviour is about position in the network, not output power, and a loud router in the wrong place makes congestion worse. See Node Roles Explained.
  3. Give the receiver a real antenna. The low-noise front end is the reason to own this thing, and it is wasted on a stock whip sitting behind a window. Even a modest outdoor omni on short, decent coax will outperform a big antenna on long, lossy cable. Start with the Antenna and Placement Guide, and the measured antenna comparisons before you buy.

At this power level, feedline quality stops being an academic point. Losses that are tolerable at 100 mW are throwing away real watts here, and cheap connectors get warm. Use low-loss coax, keep it short, and weatherproof every outdoor joint.

Where to buy

Sold direct by the maker. There is no affiliate programme, so this link earns us nothing.

Direct from B&Q Voyage
BQ Station G3
Modular high-power base station. First batch held at the Station G2 price.
$109.00

Stock has been intermittent, and it ships from Shenzhen, so allow for delivery time and possible import handling.

We watch stock for you. MeshWatch G3 Stock Sentinel polls both BQ shops continuously and pings our Discord the moment a G3 flips to in stock, with a link to whichever shop has it. Leave the page open with alerts armed and it will make noise when one lands. If it is out of stock right now, that is the page to bookmark.

If you would rather not wait, ask in Discord: members occasionally have a spare G2 to pass on.

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Updated 2026-08-09