Honey Bee Safe: LoraWan Outdoor Attempt

RE: Honey Bee Safe: LoraWan Outdoor Attempt

jonasn — Sun, 12 Mar 2023 13:20:00 GMT

You can use https://ispdesign.ui.com/# to check for line of sight between you and the gateway. If there is a big hill between you and the gateway, you will most likely to get a link form it. For antenna testing, i use an N1201SA VNA, but in your case it might be cheaper to buy an antenna from a reputable vendor.

RE: Honey Bee Safe: LoraWan Outdoor Attempt

ralphjy — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 19:07:07 GMT

It is difficult to get a quantitative view without having access to the receiver, but I would try a few things that I'm sure you've probably already done.

Make sure you have separation between your antenna and other objects (the phone, your body, etc). Try the antenna in different orientations. I have had better luck with FPC antennas oriented in a vertical vs horizontal plane and try rotating it to see if that helps.

I haven't had much luck connecting to other gateways in my area (I've always used my gateway) . I should pay more attention to see how much external traffic I get on my gateway. My gateway is not optimized for distance (it is indoor - I have considered adding an outdoor antenna, but I only use sensors on my property).

RE: Honey Bee Safe: LoraWan Outdoor Attempt

javagoza — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 16:21:11 GMT

I don't have an answer to your questions but I do have some questions. I see that you use the arduino board clicked on the protection pad. I am not very clear about what good insulator it can be since it also protects against ESD discharges. Is this practice safe? It's probably a stupid question but I'm not sure.