[Esip-envirosensing] Fwd: [ECOLOG-L] LoRa or hardwires field sensors?

Fri Feb 14 13:08:45 EST 2020

There are some folks at USGS developing a LoRa system for soil water
monitoring that looks promising. The sensor you named isn't great. They
recommend a sensor and system made by a company called Acclima. Zach, I'll
forward you an email string about this with names & email addresses for the
folks involved so you can contact them directly.
Good luck.
Vicky Kelly

On Fri, Feb 14, 2020 at 12:08 PM Jane Wyngaard via Esip-envirosensing <
esip-envirosensing at lists.esipfed.org> wrote:

> Hi Zach
>
> I was able to attend The Things Conference 2weeks ago and my takeaway was
> industry is rapidly adopting LoRa and in the short 3 years I've been
> watching it has matured and become a stable platform that's not going
> away.  But that's only true in the commercial sector it seems so far. Have
> a look at The Things Conference youtube channel
> <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv85CXnZUXEKnlZpQapTAwQ/videos>.
> They're still uploading the keynotes from the last conference but some
> highlights you can now get daily satellite uplink for ~$30/month, AWS IoT
> services integrate with TheThingsNetwork stack for device management, and
> there are just too many urban environmental sensor companies using LoRa to
> name now (target is usually office buildings/hotels/etc).  Big names like
> Microchip and STM offer factory deployed encryption solutions, or at the
> hacker end there are a dozen Pi/Arduino/similar kits.   But that is much
> less true in academic enviro sensing.
>
> Personally I see huge potential for it as exactly as you suggest: you can
> multiply the number of sensors you deploy by at least a couple factors.
> The caveat here is the gain is very low cost and long term wireless
> coverage over using more expensive and shorter lasting wired solutions, but
> there's no cost saving in the sensor which is often the highest cost
> anyways, and it doesn't seem like the big Science-Environsening names are
> adopting LoRa yet so I don't think eg you can get a Cambell LoRa CO2 sensor
> so You'll have to do your own integration - maybe with an Arduino hat for
> instance.
>
> Some of the limited examples in enviro-sensing I've seen:
> - An Internet of Things (IoT) Application on Volcano Monitoring
> <https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/19/21/4651>
> - LoRaWAN for Smart City IoT Deployments: A Long Term Evaluation
> <https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/3/648>
> - A Platform of Unmanned Surface Vehicle Swarms for Real Time Monitoring
> in Aquaculture Environments <https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/19/21/4695>
>
> If you're interested in a partner for pioneering some stuff I'm in! :)
> But ja, not off the shelf for Science work yet
>
> jane
>
>
> On Fri, Feb 14, 2020 at 10:47 AM Renee F. Brown via Esip-envirosensing <
> esip-envirosensing at lists.esipfed.org> wrote:
>
>> EnviroSensors and LoRa experts, would some of you like to address Zach’s
>> questions below? This topic aligns well with discussions in our last call &
>> ESIP Winter Meeting re: the trade-offs between instrumentation with a low
>> entry price point vs. more expensive solutions (e.g., Campbell) that
>> generally have less problems and require less maintenance over the
>> long-term (my preference/bias).
>>
>> Renée
>>
>>
>> —
>>
>> *Renée F. Brown *
>> *Information Manager, McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER Director of Technology,
>> Sevilleta Field Station*
>> *University of New Mexico **Department of Biology*
>> *Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA*
>> *rfbrown at unm.edu* <rfbrown at unm.edu>
>>
>>
>> —
>>
>>
>> Begin forwarded message:
>>
>> *From: *"Zach Brown" <privateemail74077 at community.esa.org>
>> *Subject: **[ECOLOG-L] LoRa or hardwires field sensors?*
>> *Date: *February 14, 2020 at 8:06:07 AM MST
>> *To: *"ECOLOG-L at community.esa.org" <ECOLOG-L at community.esa.org>
>> *Reply-To: *ECOLOG-L-moderator at community.esa.org
>>
>> *  UNM-IT Warning:* This message was sent from outside of the LoboMail
>> system. Do not click on links or open attachments unless you are sure the
>> content is safe. (2.3)
>>
>> I’m in the process of setting up a network of environmental monitoring
>> equipment and climate manipulations in the Australian Alps as part of the
>> Australian Mountain Research Facility (AMRF.org.au). We’re a team of
>> ecologists and natural resource managers interested in knowing how alpine
>> grasslands will be affected by climate change, fire, etc. As part of our
>> remote monitoring, we’ll have soil moisture and temperature sensors
>> distributed throughout many 1-hectare plots, each with 4G comms, logger and
>> other sensors. These sites have wild temperatures, precipitation, etc. I
>> have recently discovered LoRa as an inexpensive option for such sensor
>> arrays compared to Campbell or other brands that focus on durable,
>> hardwired options. I’m curious to know what stories you field ecologists
>> have regarding use of LoRa probes in rugged field conditions for multi-year
>> deployments. Here is one such example
>> https://www.tindie.com/products/tinovi/lorawan-soil-moisture-temperature-ec-sensor/
>> My instincts tell me to go for the tried and true hardwired options despite
>> the high cost. But I recognise that with LoRa instead of hardwired probes,
>> the project could either put out HEAPS of sensors out or alternatively save
>> a fortune. Thoughts? Is LoRa a few years off of having high-quality,
>> durable options that can withstand the elements for years on end? I would
>> appreciate your stories.
>>
>> *Zach Brown*
>> Senior Technical Officer
>> Research School of Biology
>> Robertson Building 46, East 312A
>>
>> The Australian National University
>> Canberra ACT 2600
>> T +61 2 52545
>> M 046 772 0031
>> email: Zachary.Brown at anu.edu.au
>>
>> website: https://www.amrf.org.au/
>>
>> [image: AMRF logo resize]
>>
>>
>>
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-- 
Victoria R. Kelly
<http://www.caryinstitute.org/who-we-are/people-cary/victoria-kelly>
Manager, Environmental Monitoring Program
Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Phone 1-845-677-7600 ext. 174
Email kellyv at caryinstitute.org
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