Simple tips to maximize your LoRaWAN and Sigfox weather station signal strength in the country

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QUESTION: I don’t have good signal strength and get intermittent data from my IoT weather station. I am in a rural area of the country. How can I improve my wireless coverage?

ANSWER:

To solve wireless connectivity problems, one must first know the following information:

  1. Where is the receiver located (gateway): Is it inside, outside, how many walls are between the gateway and the outdoors, and how high above ground level is it located.

  2. Where is the weather station located (end-node): Is it inside, outside, how many walls are between the gateway and the outdoors, and how high above ground level is it located.

Solutions for the country side

  1. In the country with wide open spaces, the single most common solution is to mount the weather station higher or on top of the closest hill to make sure it has line of sight view of the reciever which is called a gateway in IoT wireless systems like Sigfox and LoRaWAN.

  2. Second most common problem is that the gateway is located indoors or on the opposite side of a building where building walls weaken and block wireless signals from reaching their destination. Try moving the gateway close to a window, in your attic or outdoors or on the roof.

  3. Increasing signal strength with a NANO/PICO/MICRO gateway or a signal repeater is also an option.

    1. Sigfox now offers a micro-gateway along with a repeater station to get wireless coverage in a valley behind a hill from the Sigfox gateway.

    2. LoRaWAN offers more choices of gateways. Try searching the web for “LoRaWAN Gateway” and many choices will pop up.

    3. LoRaWAN gateway locations can be found on this TTNmapper map and the TTN Mapper phone app can help you find a location with good signal strength of LoRaWAN coverage.