Construction is simple – simply slot the Gateway Module into the HAT’s mini PCIe connector, and slot the HAT on top of your Raspberry Pi. There are external antennas to add as well, including a fancy GPS module in case you need to know its location.
From source
The software is a little more involved though. The docs help guide you in the setup, which includes compiling the software from source and connecting everything up to thethings.network so you can control it all remotely. It’s a bit of a lengthy process, however it’s definitely streamlined once you get past the initial compiling phase. This is not for folks wanting to try out their first IoT set up though, with LoRaWAN products definitely having a more professional user in mind, and the docs don’t help you beyond getting the gateway working.
That said, if you know your LoRaWAN stuff, you’re all ready to start connecting devices. The range on the gateway is very good, and we didn’t have any problems with devices around our home not reaching it. We even put some sensors outside and they worked a treat. The GPS worked well too, something you’d need if you’re deploying gateways out on a farm or throughout a wider area. You could probably jury rig it to work as a GPS tracker or Geocacher if you’d like to as well, however there are better ways to do that.
Prosumer uses
This is definitely a very powerful piece of kit, and very reasonably priced at that, although you will need to supply your own Raspberry Pi for it as well. If you’re feeling the strain in your home automation network and fancy upgrading to the next level, it’s definitely a great way to try out and experiment with LoRaWAN too, and Elecrow also has Node Boards you can use with it if you need to upgrade that part too.
Verdict
8/10
A great piece of kit designed for folks with serious remote automation needs that fits snugly atop a Raspberry Pi.
Specs
Chipset: Semtech SX1302 with an RTC battery
Sensitivity: -125dBm @125K/SF7, -139dBm @125K/SF12
Channels: 8 channels with bandwidth of 125/250/500 kHz
