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

[Daniel Fuka]

Howdy Zachary!

As someone who is neck-deep in cheap sensing and lower cost last-mile data
transmission through LoRa and cell, I am going to suggest that it depends
on the scope of your project. The current state of cheap sensing is that if
you want to go this route, cheap sensing and LoRa research actually becomes
large part of your project... i.e. you and your team will need to get
neck-deep into actual device/sensor research yourself. So, while there is a
promise for being able to get 10X+ the locations and in-situ data for the
cost, you have to factor in the labor in building out your custom research
solution. In our case, we have hit a wall on our research and need a much
higher data location density, and as such, there is no way to do this with
our budgets and Campbell quality equipment. If you have not hit this wall,
and if you desire to get research quality data within a 1-2 year time
frame, I would highly recommend the Campbell solutions... as indeed the
Campbell solutions are compatible with future installations of higher
density cheaper sensor networks, in both directions.

That being said, I highly recommend you hang out in this ESIP cluster, as
you will get ideas of how you might go forward with cheap sensing and last
mile... or how you might supplement your more expensive systems to give you
higher resolution information over time.



On Fri, Feb 14, 2020 at 8:47 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)
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> 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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