LoRa relay between gateway and end nodes?

Hello,
We are using your RAK7243 with Shirpstack local, works fine!
Our new installation concerns irrigation control.
Several nodes are installed at 3 kms from the gateway, and communicate perfectly.
Another field is only 700 m from gateway, but separated by a row of trees, and we have no communication.
Do you have a LoRa relay or repeater that would solve our problem ?
Another solution (without cutting all the trees ;-))?

Many thanks,

Dear Bernard,

Maybe you can refer this web to fulfill your needs!

Best regards!

There is a lot of variables when talking about gateway to sensor communication. Is there a direct line of sight other than trees? Is there a hill in between? The best solution if you followed the document Nicholas linked, which just makes sure you have the settings correct, is to have the gateway and antenna for gateway as high as possible.

Make sure ADR is enabled, TX power is set to highest and set ADR to SF10 (or SF12 in other countries other than USA). I would also do range testing to see how far from the 700m field will work, a successful pair sequence which tests uplink and downlinks. LoRAWAN doesn’t use relay’s or repeaters that I know of.

I’d also try a device from the gateway side of the trees, so you can be sure that it is the trees that are causing the problem.

Also, useful to define ‘trees’ - as they come in a variety of leaf density and ‘trees’ for some people may be a single line along a field edge or they could be a wood.

Dear Nicholas,
first of all many thanks for your reactivity!
As the noob I am, I understand that Rak lora network server includes Schirpstack???
Do I need to install it, how to access to it using a browser? no need of Schirpstack alone anymore?
With thanks,
Bernard

Dear Bernard,

Sure,The gateway have been include the chirpstack!

Maybe you can refer this web:

Best regards!

Hi Steve,
many thanks for your reply and advices.
Direct line of sight, no hill, only trees…
Tested from trees to gateway: perfect.
Tested 3 kms away without trees: perfect.
I will try with gateway/antenna higher (already on a rooftop), but problem is, as you know, we cannot extend antenna cable, signal loss… so we need to lift up antenna AND gateway but makes difficult to access to raspberry, sd card, etc… (would be fantastic to solve this problem, a 5 meters long cable, my dream…)
ADR enabled, already set to SF12, Tx power as I know is not possible to modify in Shirpstack?

At the point of tree’s what is your SNR, RSSI, SF#? I used to use chirpstack, I use Actility now but should get the same data. As for power output, typically the server will tell the end device the SF# and TX power output. Its important to always go through a pairing process at each new location.

For TX Power, there is an AT command to set TX power, at+set_config=lora:tx_power:

Is the sensor / end node also from RAK or is it a 3rd party finished device? Antenna on the end node also matters including directionality (If its not a whip antenna)

Dear Nicholas,
We maybe should start another topic about this particular subject?
We are running with RAK7243: typing 192.168.230.1 opens schirpstack, but no access to the Rak lora server
Do we need to reinstall the whole process from scratch?
Is it possible to add this function to our existing raspbian?
Thank you,
Bernard

Dear Bernard,

Maybe you should refer this web:


Maybe you can typing the chirpstack address is 192.168.230.1:8080.
Browser Address : <Gateway IP address>:8080

Best regards!

Dear Nicholas,
no way! :8080 opens only schirpstack and nothing else…
Any procedure to access to Rak lora server?

Dear Bernard,

What do you want to do with the RAK Lora Server?

It’s just installed in the RAK7243!

Best regards!

Dear Nicholas,
I need to have access to the Rak lora server in order to modify some parameters such as TX power.
I understand it’s installed in the RAK7243, but please tell me how to access to configuration panel !
As said, typing 8080 opens only schirpstack and nothing else… Am I not clear?
With thanks for any usefull recommendation,
Bernard

Dear Bernard,

Maybe this forum can help you!

Best regards!