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Reach RS Integrated Radio Hits 19.2 km Baseline

Our community continues testing Reach RS with LoRa radio. This time @bide focused on testing LoRa Radio under different terrain and weather conditions.

Reach RS covered with snow

First tests aimed at studying LoRa performance with considerable obstructions in a rural area with many trees. Tests showed no radio dropout in a range of 1.25km under these conditions.

That day 2 Reach RS units were used in the manner described below so that one could take advantage of a unit at an initial known location. Then use that to produce a temporary base coordinate for a second unit that is placed at a point for optimum radio coverage for the work area.

  • Unit #1 was placed on a known location as a base.
  • Unit #2 was was placed at a point which was within line-of-sight of the work area.
  • After a few minutes unit #2 switched from float to fix and then started averaging its fix for 2 minutes to determine coordinates for use in base mode.
  • Unit #2 was then switched to base mode using the new coordinates.
  • Unit #1 was then switched to rover mode and taken from a known location and moved to work in the area near unit #2.

This method was made possible and easy with new features available in ReachView 2.

Next goes the LoRa test with a clear line-of-sight. The base was placed high up on a mountain. The rover went to two smaller mountains.

Reach RS base placed on a mountain

The base station was set super low to the ground on a mountain top to avoid detection by passersby and to try to avoid theft

Reach RS base

It didn’t rain the whole day, but for a few hours, it was raining pretty good

Reach RS

Rover on the first mountain

Reach RS rover on a mountain

Rover hand-centered over “brass bolt” embedded in the concrete pier. Rocks used to stabilize the RS against the wind

Signal-to-noise-ratio

The result obtained here is impressive—it’s 16.5km baseline!

Now we’re moving to mountain #2.

Reach RS on a second mountain

On this mountain, the rover can be seen on the tripod in the background (center of a picture, a little east of north)

Signal-to-noise-ratio

This time Reach RS with LoRa Radio takes 19.2km baseline! LoRa Radio is performing really well

ReachView settings used during the tests along with RTK data may be found on our community forum in @bide tests thread.  Welcome to the discussion!