RF transceiver module - range 1Km

Thread Starter

Hugo Ferreira

Joined Mar 24, 2016
5
Good morning ,
i'm searching a RF module (transceiver) with a range of 1 km.

The objective of the transceivers is to control a boat (rc boat) and occasionally send some data from sensors that the boat will have.
I'll need two transceivers. One for the boat and one for the radio.

The module that i want need to have these features:
- (+/-) 1 Km range (open field);
- digital (spi,i2c,serial);
- It can not be too expensive.


In my search i found some but i don't know if they are good.
For example:

http://pt.farnell.com/rf-solutions/zeta-433/fm-transceiver-433mhz-500kbps/dp/2500104

http://pt.farnell.com/rf-solutions/rf-lora-868-so/lora-transceiver-868mhz-300kbps/dp/2500100

I would be grateful if you could give me some advice.

Best regards,
MrKdf

P.s.
Tell me if you do not understand what I want.
 

withoutego

Joined Dec 22, 2015
26
I didn't open the pdf but from the specs on the links
given, looks like two of either transceiver with the
appropriate antennas would do what you want. The
reference design in the pdf will suggest a processor
or interface....will you be working the boat from a
laptop PC?
 

BR-549

Joined Sep 22, 2013
4,928
I'm just curious, do you know anyone who has done this with those components in this type of application?

What will be the antenna height on the boat?

I did some low power networking in those bands some years ago, but I always had height, at one end or the other, working for me.

And all my rf paths were fixed. Yours is constantly changing.

I believe I would find someone who is controlling their boat at that range for research first.

You couldn't see your boat at 1 km well enough to navigate around other boats, could you?
 

nerdegutta

Joined Dec 15, 2009
2,684
The ZETA has a range of 2Km, and the LORA has a range of 16Km - According to the datasheets. Your antenna needs to be 86.3mm long.

What kind of sensors do you have, and what exactly are you transmitting?
 

Thread Starter

Hugo Ferreira

Joined Mar 24, 2016
5
I didn't open the pdf but from the specs on the links
given, looks like two of either transceiver with the
appropriate antennas would do what you want. The
reference design in the pdf will suggest a processor
or interface....will you be working the boat from a
laptop PC?
In principle I will use the raspberry pi !
 

Thread Starter

Hugo Ferreira

Joined Mar 24, 2016
5
I'm just curious, do you know anyone who has done this with those components in this type of application?

What will be the antenna height on the boat?

I did some low power networking in those bands some years ago, but I always had height, at one end or the other, working for me.

And all my rf paths were fixed. Yours is constantly changing.

I believe I would find someone who is controlling their boat at that range for research first.

You couldn't see your boat at 1 km well enough to navigate around other boats, could you?

No, I do not know of anyone who has used this equipment for this type of application.

I do not need to see the boat 1km away. The aim is that the transceivers operate to control and to exchange infomações.
The boat will have a GPS and in the future will implement a system where to send the coordinates of a certain point the boat has to go there and collect some data from the sensors and send that data.

Did I could explain?
The idea is to have two options, one to control with the command and another in which I send the coordinates and he has to go there.
To control with the command may only use go up to 200/300 meters, maybe even less.
 

BR-549

Joined Sep 22, 2013
4,928
"The objective of the transceivers is to control a boat (rc boat) and occasionally send some data from sensors that the boat will have."

To me, that means no real time feedback. How are you going to avoid collision with other objects(such as a swimmer or floating debris), from standing on the bank at 1 km distance?

This is nonsense or a false scenario.
 

BR-549

Joined Sep 22, 2013
4,928
Well, that's just fine if you have the body of water to yourself. I know of no such bodies.

What if some object is between the r/c boat and where you tell it to go?

How does it avoid that object?
 

nerdegutta

Joined Dec 15, 2009
2,684
In principle I will use the raspberry pi !
At which end will you use the Raspberry Pi? How will you power the R Pi?

At this point, or perhaps earlier, you should explain everything about your project. Make a few blockdiagrams and go in detail. The more you provide the more you get.
What part of the world are you in?
 

Thread Starter

Hugo Ferreira

Joined Mar 24, 2016
5
Well, that's just fine if you have the body of water to yourself. I know of no such bodies.

What if some object is between the r/c boat and where you tell it to go?

How does it avoid that object?
Good evening,
sorry for the delay in responding.

I need to have a transceiver that allows me to communicate to a long distance.
This distance is too great, and of course I will not be able to see up to 1 kilometer away.
Imagine that I am a lake with two kilometers radius, and I want to go to the center.
I know this distance seems an abuse and I hardly ever get to that distance, I'm just doing things handily.
For example, ensuring a max reach of 500/600 meters for me already optimal.

I just wish you guys help me understand what is a good transceiver for what I want.

For example, you think with this transceiver I could communicate at a distance I want? And yet do control?

http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/24G-wireless-module-NRF24L01PALNA-PAIPX-p-2384.html

Best regards,
Hugo Ferreira
 

Thread Starter

Hugo Ferreira

Joined Mar 24, 2016
5
At which end will you use the Raspberry Pi? How will you power the R Pi?

At this point, or perhaps earlier, you should explain everything about your project. Make a few blockdiagrams and go in detail. The more you provide the more you get.
What part of the world are you in?
Hi nerd guetta,
i'm in Portugal.

I do not know if i will use the raspberry pi with ROS (Robotic Operative System) or ARM microprocessor.
I'll use one of those to do the control and communication.

My boat will have some size and some batteries, I intend to feed the raspberry our ARM with these batteries.

Best regards,
Hugo Ferreira
 

withoutego

Joined Dec 22, 2015
26
The radio link is the easy part. A unidirectional antenna on the boat
and a yagi at the center of your 1 KM radius should give you good
signal levels at both ends. In fact you should just get everything else
working (sensors, boat controls, telemetry display) with the boat
sitting next to the computer. A link budget calculation will tell you
which transceivers to use. A thousand meters is not that far really
if you have a 2.4 GHz yagi at one end.
 

withoutego

Joined Dec 22, 2015
26
Well, I did your research for you. Go with the RF-LORA-868-SO
It costs 22 Euro and in the pdf they show tests indicating plenty
of range with 1/4 wave length antennas at either end. You might
still use a yagi at the control end, on a pole, it never hurts to have
extra margin.

unless you are making a fleet and need to keep the price down,
pay the extra six Euro over the cost of the lower power units.

Then your time can be devoted to the rest of the project.
 
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