@wallyllama Nice answer - thanks very much.
I'm going to go with a central power distribution point and send out 12v to any nodes that need powering. Each node will have a buck and drop whatever voltage they receive by that point, down to 5v. This way I avoid any voltage drop issues that could occur.
It also gives me a single & scalable power source location and nodes close to their activity & still fulfilling their mesh roles and responsibilities!
I like the @petewill setup, but will probably establish it using something like these: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-shipping-1pcs-9-road-output-switching-power-supply-wiring-board-current-shunt-board-wit-fuse/693330771.html
I was also thinking of going one step further with something like: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/9CH-DC-12V-15A-Switching-Power-Supply-With-Box-180W-Monitor-Camera-12V-Power-Transformer/32602759262.html but I'm not sure just how much to trust these? At least with just the first distribution board, I can power it with some old wall-worts initially (appreciate less power capacity). If anyone has anything good to say about the aliexpress switching power supplies, I may still consider.
Cheers
B
