What else do I need to consider when thinking about transmission range?
- Wireless transmission means line of sight, so it is best to mount your transmitter, repeater and receivers where there are no obstructions between them
- Generally, mounting your devices as high above the ground or the highest crop level as possible provides the best transmission
- Wet foliage will reduce transmission more than dry foliage so if you find you are missing data on rainy days, this may be the cause
- Your transmission range can be affected by a range of site factors, such as antenna height, the terrain and foliage, buildings and other structures, and radio frequency interference, so it can take some experimentation to get it right
- Common building materials such as wood or glass only minimally affect transmission while steel will affect the range significantly. Locating your devices in windows can help
- When speaking about transmission range, the maximum distances refer to optimal conditions. Due to minor obstructions and interference, typical distance will likely be about 50-80% of the maximum. If walls, thick shelter belts or high radio frequency interference are factors, range may drop to as low as 20-40% of the maximum