Blog

PaperMETAR has officially landed at the compliance lab! With active testing already underway and promising initial feedback from the engineers, the waiting game begins. Next up: final test reports and diving into retail box design.

Published on October 28, 2026

Using a pre-certified ESP32 module means PaperMETAR only needs unintentional radiator testing for FCC compliance, but lab quotes still range from $2,700 to $12,000. Before picking a lab, I ran my own “pre-pre-compliance” check with a tinySA spectrum analyzer and found no obvious problems.

Published on October 19, 2026Technical

An update after a few months. The new PCB consolidates two boards into one, which required redesigning the enclosure from scratch around 3D printing. Component costs keep going up, almost wiping out the savings from the redesign. And I've started talking to FCC compliance labs, where the surprises are just beginning.

Published on August 7, 2026Technical

It’s been a month since the Kickstarter ended, and I wanted to share a quick update on what I have been working on. In this post, I dive into a brief recap of the campaign, my plans to redesign the hardware to lower costs, and why I am moving straight toward testing and shipping the updated PaperMETAR units to the community instead of launching another campaign.

Published on March 23, 2026

Although the Kickstarter campaign was unsuccessful I am grateful for the experience and the amazing feedback. The project continues and I plan to sell a small batch of units directly so stay tuned for details after I take a short break.

Published on February 13, 2026

We are in the final few hours of the PaperMETAR Kickstarter! Please back PaperMETAR now

Published on February 11, 2026

Firmware v0.6.5 is now live! This update introduces expanded quiz categories, significant battery optimizations, and faster boot times. Plus, the latest iOS app update adds support for Jumpseaters.

Published on January 26, 2026Firmware

New firmware is out with the draft Jumpseaters, improved quiz variety and performance. Upgrade your PaperMETAR and go to the settings menu to select a jumpseater.

Published on January 21, 2026