Hello, help with starting with Lora

How to get started?
#1

Hello, I’m newbie. I need a help how to start playing with Lora. Can someone please write to me, or gime and link , to some kit, where is all that I need to buy, ti set uf a mlall lora sensor monitoring.

I have one meat dryAger in a garage, and i want to setup humidity and temperature measurment, to monitor from home. Garage is in a bigger city in Slovenia but away from my wifi, so I need lora i think.

I watched some youtube videos.
As I understand i need :

  • one lora gateway at home (dragino The LG01 ??? ) cca 70$
  • one Arduino uno in garage , cca 5$
  • Lora Shield v98 which connects on arduino .cca 20$
  • DHT11 Temperature and Relative Humidity Sensor whisch conects to Shield ? cca 3$

Am I thinking in a right way?

More than I search, more I’am lost. Can someone please give me a link to some Kit where is all i have to buy? I thought that this things are cheaper if Im honest.

thanks for now

#2

In principle ok, but avoid single channel forwarders like LG01. For almost the same price you can buy a TTIG, which is a full gateway. However, check on TTNmapper if the city is already covered by some gateway - if you are lucky, you do not need to buy one.
Instead of Uno + shield, you may buy a Lora32U4 platform that includes both for 13€ and up.

#3

thanks for answer,

Actualy, if i understand you , if im covered with existing lora signals, I dont need own gateway. So I will go to thethingsnetwork.org and there I will acess my node ?

So all i have to buy, is Lora32U4 node and this sensor https://www.ebay.com/itm/DHT11-Temperature-and-Relative-Humidity-Sensor-Module-Kit-IoT-Props-for-Ar-duino/133282180813?epid=1051342374&hash=item1f083caecd:g:RcAAAOSwHAxb73xk ?

What obout this , which have included temerature and humidity sensor? https://store.mcci.com/collections/lorawan-iot-and-the-things-network/products/mcci-catena-4610-integrated-node-for-lorawan-technology

thanks a lot
here is screenshot of map, and seems that im covered
lora

#4

If “me” is the place where you have to put the sensor, yes, it seems covered. The only possible issue is that, if your sensor has to be put underground, it might have some difficulty, but try first. By the way, you may also use a good antenna in case.
The node you linked is okay, although you initially spoke about “cheap”. For that price, you may find nodes with enclosure (e.g., https://www.antratek.com/lht65-lorawan-temperature-humidity-sensor ). It also depends on your propension to do it yourself :slight_smile: : if you are interested in temperature and humidity, go with a ready node, if you like tampering, buy pieces and put together (but some programming is needed).Some computer proficiency is needed anyway, to set up the rest.

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#5

Note that there’s also a beam from north to south that is drawn over your “me”. That’s a fat line though, indicating that the gateway is far away in the north (and the point at which some data was received is more to the south). Also note that mapping (to create the map) depends on a lot of factors, and often happens outside. If possible then get in touch with your local community. Having a university in town will surely help getting help! :slight_smile:

TTN provides very basic access to the data in TTN Console. To see graphs of historical values, you’ll need to set up TTN to forward the data to some third party dashboard. For example, see the integrations such as AllThingsTalk, myDevices Cayenne (needs the node to use a specific data format), TagoIO or ThingSpeak. There are many, too many maybe…

#6

this is a good suggestion - as I too quietly wrote, there is still some step to do, unless the console display is sufficient. However, the gateway is not the first expense to do (@arjanvanb: the gateways on the right are very close).

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#7

hello, thanks for answers.

yes, with “ME” I marked my position. SO im covered!

OK, because im in garage, which is not underground but anyway is in concrete build complex, lets say that in worst case i will put the antenna outside. No problem.

So only thing I have to buy is this lorawan sensor https://www.antratek.com/lht65-lorawan-temperature-humidity-sensor ?

Than, I register this sensor trough the TTN site, and I will get that plain text values from the senor ?

Thanks a lot

#8

I think that the manual shows that the LHT65 does not support an external antenna. I don’t know if you can extend the wiring for the external temperature sensor, but the humidity sensor is built-in anyhow.

But like you noticed: the gateway seems to be close by, and you could always re-use that device for something else.

Also, I wonder if it needs any programming/configuration. If yes, then you’ll also need a USB-to-TTL adapter (quite cheap), to connect the data cable to a computer. I think by default it uses OTAA to join the network (TTN), so you should be good to go without any configuration. However, you might want to read about it possibly not having its own unique value for AppEUI, for which you might need to reconfigure it using that cable. The data cable might also be useful to see debug information, assuming it outputs that.

With the proper decoder in the application’s Payload Formats in TTN Console, yes. (Minor detail: the decoder’s usage of .toFixed(2) will result in text, not in a number. Easily fixed.) But according to the manual it also seems to be supported by Cayenne, so that’s even better.

#9

HEllo, again, i finaly got the temperature and humidity sensor, after few months from China and created the application in TTn, as described in instructions. Inserted Api keys… etc. But I cant find LoRa signal now, from my apartment. It wascovered months ago, when wrote this thread here, but seems now there is no more signal. I didnt try yet in garage whre I will need the sensor, but also there is weak signal if I see the map . I atached it. You can see difference from the prevous, Sems that some notes were close out. Is now the only option to buy lora wan router?
loraSignal29Junj20

What should I do?

#10

Looking at where you are in Ljubljana the immediate terrain is quite flat in the near neighbourhood so looking at the white space above if you buy yourself a cheap GW (say a TTIG or Dragino LPS8) you will both happily capture node data from the Garage to your apartment but you will also contribute to your local community (https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/community/ljubljana/) & add to local coverage and effectively fill in virtually all the white space on map above if you can place even a few meters high :slight_smile: Though I would have hoped atleast one of the 4 nearest GWs to you would have given some coverage (Though Console shows one to S/S.E is currently offline), it may be that in flat regions with urban development you are just a few hundred meters too far away…
image

#11

Or maybe the coverage is actually fine, but the configuration is not.

Given that “Api keys” is not LoRaWAN terminology: which instructions are that? What details did you enter into TTN Console? Is it ABP or OTAA? And maybe the debugging info in Can I use TTN without my own gateway if one is nearby? helps?

#12

I have bought this sensor https://www.antratek.com/lht65-lorawan-temperature-humidity-sensor
And followed this instructions http://www.dragino.com/downloads/downloads/LHT65/UserManual/LHT65_Temperature_Humidity_Sensor_UserManual_v1.3.pdf

my settings are like this , i attached picture. Dev aDDR, Dev EUI, App Eui, App key, Appskey, NetsKey are printed on the sensor box. So I entered this.
Is it ABP or OTAA? I dont know…

Capture1

#13

Looks like OTAA based on the screen shots but it’s not the clearest documentation!

#14

The manual you linked to says:

2.2 How it works?

The LHT65 is configured as LoRaWAN OTAA Class A mode by default.

So, OTAA it is, for which you’ll have copied AppEUI, DevEUI and AppKey into TTN Console. Geheimtipp: type each value twice on separate lines in some text editor, to easily visually validate you did not make any typing errors. More details in Registration of node with pre-configured LoRaWAN keys, but I guess you did right. So, for OTAA, you should not have used the other values anywhere in TTN Console.

But even then you’ll have to tell us a lot more. Like did you do the following and what was the result?

ACT button

Do you have a mobile phone with an internet connection? Then open TTN Console on that device and take the device outside. Follow the procedure above and see if the “Status” changes from “never seen” to something else. If not, move closer to the gateway, and so on. If it never changes, you’ll have to re-check the configuration. Once it does change, you know for sure the configuration is okay.

As for coverage: remember that TTN Mapper really only shows the results of people who explicitly go outside to do the mapping. Maps of a single gateway will show clickable markers that tell you some more. Like this shows someone was mapping close by in December 2019, but maybe simply not much nearby mapping was done:

Coverage

All you can do is try.

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#15

HEllo, As you said, I tried.

I went closer and closer to the gateway and on some poit, after holding act jey between 1 and 3 seconds I saw blue led blnking on the sensor. And evn on ttn console it changed status to green and showed actual time. So, i guess everything is fine and working.
If Im honest, im disapointed. About this “long range” distances. You must go 200 meters from the gatewaay, and nothing between thay you find signal.
So now, i guess that i have to spent more money for gateway. For this money, I could buy a sim card and have one old phone with data connected for year or two…

Any way, Which gateway you suggest ?

Capture2

#16

And you will find a great many instances on the forum of node to Gateway distances many times further than that.

So the question really is, since we know LoRa does perform well at long distances, what is the problem with your setup that gives you such a short distance ?

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#17

To activate on TTN first, I think you should have pressed the ACT button for more than 3 seconds. Before activation, uplinks will indeed not have worked. But okay, meanwhile it has somehow activated, and “Status: never seen” changed into some time. So, assuming the manual is correct, I guess you pressed the button a bit longer during at least one test?

Beware: pressing that ACT button for more than 3 seconds might make it activate again. This may invalidate the earlier successful activation, while a new activation may fail if reception is bad. So, don’t activate again if there’s no good reason for that.

Once activated, a blue LED only indicates the device has transmitted; it does not know if any gateway also received its transmission from its current position.

Next thing to investigate: at what data rate did the device connect? And are uplinks indeed received from your garage? Given the instructions from the manual, I’d say:

  • Open the TTN Console application’s or device’s Data page on your mobile phone (this needs to be open during your tests)

  • Press the ACT button for a bit more than 1 second (but surely less than 3 seconds)

  • If the gateway receives the test uplink, then clicking an item in TTN Console will show you what data rate (Spreading Factor and bandwidth, like “SF7BW125”) was used:

    metadata

If you’re seeing a fast data rate (like “SF7BW125”) then a slower data rate may increase its reach. If it’s a slow data rate (like “SF12BW125”) when outside, but no uplink is received when inside, then you’re probably out of luck if things do not work from your garage.

#18

aha, so when I activate the sensor near the gateway, than I should not activate it any more. OK, i got.

I will go again near the gateway, and test if I can get this uplink and that metadata.

I’m afraid that even IF i buy own gateway, it will not get the signal from inside garage to my appartment. What , price/peroformance gateway u suggest me?

thanks
Capture3

#19

It depends. If you find that it joined on a fast data rate (like SF7) then its range will be limited. So, it may work close to that gateway, but not in other places. Now, assuming the device has ADR enabled, then after a lot of failed uplinks (96 messages) it may lower its data rate by one step and try again (for another 32 messages), and so on. Hopefully, at some point it will succeed. But that will take a long time. In such case, it might be better to re-join, so the device may start afresh with a slower data rate. (During an OTAA join, many devices will lower the data rate until the Join Accept is received. That will also take time. But not a whopping 96 messages. I don’t know the device you’re using though.)

But, in your case, you don’t know what data rate it’s currently using. So, first doing some investigation while you know it’s still activated, may help.

Aside: given that it joined at least once, you’re sure that the settings in TTN Console are okay.

…or just go on some nearby wide road, to avoid buildings from interfering too much. Look at that other map I linked to above (though that shows old mapping details). Any red, orange or yellow dot proved to have a good reception some day in the past, so might work with your current settings.

Aside: when clicking an item in TTN Console’s Data page, you may also want to look at which gateway(s) received your uplink. And did you talk to anyone from your local community? @ltfe & friends may have some insight, or may lend you a device that you can use for some up-to-date mapping? Their gateway surely looks positioned well!

(I don’t know if adding a gateway will help. Especially not if it’s an indoor gateway.)

#20

I bought my gateway for testing purposes. They say here that it sucks for heavy traffic (and I believe them). It’s indoors and when I am outside the range is 200m. I think it fits your scenario @martinkavcic but in reverse. Your node is indoors and the GW’s outdoours.

But to my surprise, my tesing node can transmit from my basement to the first floor. Only concrete, no bricks.

Just tested. The last values are RSSI and SNR

feather-clv, 2020-07-09 20:55:45, 868.1, SF9BW125, -103, 7 (testing node)
ztube-pcba-a, 2020-07-09 20:58:19, 31.4c, 868.3, SF9BW125, -77, 9.2 (commercial product)

I think even with SF7 I will have reception. I have another one gateway at 700m, no reception from basement.

If you want to try with a GW, buy a trusted 8 channel, or build yours with Raspberry and imst