So that gives you a rough idea of how much data will be sent …
Most 4G data plans in the EU will in the Gb range, so I think you’ll be fine.
Dont forget - survey the area for other networks traffic and allow for the fact that other users may connect or other networks get deployed/grow - all relevant traffic traffic will be captured and run thrugh your GW(s) to TTN back end where alien traffic will be dropped or passed to Packet Broker - its difficult therefore to predict future backhaul load, however as a giude I look at what I see/plan myself then multiply by 4 (typically), over time if you see load getting heavy you can densify the network dropping in additional GW’s which then allow user nodes to dial down both SF and Tx power (under ADR*), meaning some nodes will drop off as out of range from RF perspective, though if all in close proximity the backhaul traffic may still continue…
(*) recommend deploy all fixed/static nodes with ADR enabled for just such future proofing/mitigation…dont use for mobile nodes 
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I’k thinking of Prepaid cards with a validity of a year so then the amout of data is important 
As @Jeff-UK highlights, it doesn’t work like that.
If your gateway is in a LoRaWAN active area you may well find its uploads are very different.
The only way to know is to go to site and use a gateway that can use Wifi (TTIG or a RAK Pi based gateway) and your own mobile as a hotspot to see what happens.
Or go with a pre-paid card that you can top up without having to go to the gateway.
Either way, knowing what you need without a site survey is just guessing.
Conversely a site survey only shows you conditions at the moment you do it - you might see nothing today but end up with a few hundred local nodes being picked up by it the next week, even if another gateway also went in to support them.
I’d be very wary of deploying a gateway with a limited data plan, at least unless you know that it will stop working if it goes over rather than run up overage charges.
Hi,
are there any news on your progress? I am in southern Germany, too (Allgäu) and thinking about the very same setup. I also figured the Dragino DLOS8 seems the best outdoor gateway currently available for this due to its very low power consumption.
Best regards
Philipp
For solar power you may want to look at the LIG16, whilst an indoor gateway, it has considerably lower power requirements which will more than offset the cost of a waterproof enclosure.
This assumes you are on WiFi.
Hello descartes,
no, not on WiFi. I am looking for LTE backhaul. But you are right, checking for indoor gateways and enclosing them properly will have huge advantages if the power consumption is even lower. I am mostly concerned about the solar panel size, as increased size causes harder deployment (larger, heavier, more wind load).
Its really great seeing LoRaWAN Hardware evolving; the first gateway I had in my hands was a Kerlink Wirnet (the old one, not the iStation) - you had to wire the ethernet cable directly when using PoE
Best Regards
Philipp
The main point would be to get a gateway using the lower power SX1302, it doesn’t have to be that particular product.
Once using an SX1302, system architecture including host computer power starts to play a larger role in the total than it would in an SX1301 gateway where the baseband chip hogs power and heats up.
The LIG16 has a power consumption less than 1,5W. It has an USB-port and loads a Qualcomm-driver during start-up.
It could be interesting to find out if a LTE-USB stick can be used with the LIG16.
Nothing keeps you from customizing the software to use any sort of backhaul you like.
I just found this seemingly new outdoor gateway from Milesight: UG67 Outdoor LoRaWAN Gateway | Milesight IoT - IoT Solution Provider
It states a typical power consumption of 2.8W and has a 4G backhaul. Sounds like a good option for solar powering.
Apologies for digging up a dead thread, but search wasn’t working for me.
Situation: Catalunya, mountainous terrain within a nature reserve, no mobile signal, no power etc
Just installed my gateway (Dragino DLOS8) and first end device (a Dragino flood detector to test with and because it was cheap) on TTN. I doubt I can post pictures here.
Anyway, my current set up is solar powered (2 x 600ah 6v GEL batteries in series, 12v inverter, MPPT controller, 2 x 200w 12v panels in series.) but as I’m using Starlink as the backhaul, the gateway’s power requirements are insignificant.
I’ll build my “webhook”, web services, database and user presentation tomorrow so I can demo this on the web, however for the future, I have people who are interested in all this but the main problem is lack of power and backhaul where they want to deploy gateways, and I doubt Lacuna is going to deploy more sats anytime soon. My question is has anyone used a Milesight UG67 (the people I know have bought one) with Milesight solar panels running 4G?
I don’t really have to worry about transient device connections.
This won’t work for me but I need to tell them if it’ll work.
The clunky solutions I’ve seen on the web are no use because they would get stolen (even when there is no one for miles), but the Milesight set up with a bit of camouflage might well work.
So if anyone has any experience with a Milesight gateway and panels I’d love to know how it went/is going.
Again apologies for raising the dead but I can’t post new threads yet.
Hello, I tried the same set-up, however i have a few challenges.
- Range
- Power.
So my deployment was for a huge greenhouse farm over 1.5 km diagonally. I found out that my sesnors on the downhill area not able to send packets. the gateway is quite high on a 10 meter mast on the highest point of the farm.
Also, i modified a street solar solution to power the gateway, which it does, but my batteries are never full, or the gateway shuts off every now and then. i had installed a monitoring lora node inside the power box to monitor the voltages, not sure if that is also affecting the system with range and connectivity.
I used two 30w panels connected in parallel and two lithium ion packs each 11.1v 12000mAh. Any info would be helpful in redesigning the power solution and tips for range. does line of sight affect if its slopy? I expected the Dragino gateway to cover the entire farm. Thanks. Location Riftvalley Kenya, Plenty of sun during the day, but rains almost every evening.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19gbe1OvgdyEQZ5YAiIa2OT5a2cI1NV-m/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19yQsWGClGbFMdGMuP7SU-Kheo5v68-3l/view?usp=sharing
What is the maximum power consumption of the gateway?
LOS is exactly what it says, can you see the gateway from the device?
You also need to calculate your sun hours a day, rain days.
I know you are close the the equator, but you need to take all of these into concidiration.
Which one?! There are several GW’s mentioned in the thread above! Have you measured the 24hr power consumption of the GW you are using to establish a start point for balancing needs with the panel/battery configuration. Remember the panel has to both power the GW and provide enough power during the hours it is feeding to top up the battery pack. Have you determined what the useable capacity of the battery pack is? (It wont be the full 12000mAh - look to something like a range 20%-80% opoerating for maximum service life…if you can top up to >80% most dayas and ideally 100% that is a safety margin rather than guaranteed every day as you need to allow for the odd poor day/extended rain etc… even in Kenya! Check what the conversion losses are if possible - power is lost at various places in the power chain. What is the nominal operating voltage of the GW, have you tested for lowest point where it will brown-out/drop out? What is the lowest delivery voltage/capacity point of the battery pack where it will cut off to protect itself? Obviously a marginal system will drop out early in the morning before dawn so one trick is angle one of the panel a small amount say 10-20deg towards the east so it starts to capture even as daylight starts - most modern panels give a good output even without full direct mid-day sun so you wont be sacrificing much capacity overall by doing that and it may help last gasp - I had one system that typically dropped offline at sunrise +/-~30 mins depending prior days inputs in the depths of winter until I tried that - I later increased battery from 35Ah to 45Ah when I got the chance and solved problem at source so to speak! 
…but frankly if system that marginal only option is a 3rd 30W panel or better yet increase battery capacity…insticts tell me you need to be at 20000mAh absolute min, probably 24000mAh for safety - even in Kenya! Is the panel in full sun all day or is there any building or tree screening that can impact? What is the available capacity hours for the location (GIYF)
12v 500mA
Well the farm has so many greenhouses, which are way bigger than myself, cant see the gateway which is on a 10 meter pole at the highest point, however some devices connect on the less sloppy side.
its evenly split at the equator, sunrise at 6:30am and sunset 6:30 ish in the pm. ofcourse no day is the same with cloud cover but often rains in the evenings (lakes in the highlands). Also as you mentioned my panel is facing the east at a slight angle, to maximise that morning sun after the night. Nothing is obstracting it.
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