Hi -
I’ve been working on a project using Notecard LoRa to report some sensor readings to the cloud. I’m almost at the stage where I’ve got a prototype system working, based on the Blues Starter Kit for LoRaWAN. My concern is how to optimize performance in deployment. I’m not so much concerned with absolute range as I am with the ability to deal with various built environments where I’m not in control of just how much “stuff” there is between the Notecard and the gateway. We’re a small shop and don’t have in-house RF expertise. Does anybody have any advice or real-world anecdotes about how to achieve best performance? I’m particularly thinking about antennas. Is there much to be gained by replacing the Molex antenna supplied with the Notecard with a third-party off-the-shelf antenna? Does anybody have good sources? The same question applies to the gateway (if it is even possible to swap out or use an external antenna). I’m not particularly constrained by the physical size of the antenna(e) (within limits of course 
).
Hi @darkerenergy,
I’m not an RF engineer, but can provide you some general guidelines:
- Place the gateway as high and as central as possible. Height beats raw gain every time for LoRa.
- You’re welcome to try different antennas on the gateway and Notecards. I don’t have any specific recommendations, but an antenna with an SMA connector that matches your required frequency should work fine on the gateway.
Sorry I don’t have anything more specific to offer, but someone else may chime in with their real world experience.
Rob