Overview
Practical LoRa antenna placement rules for long range IoT nodes and gateways.
Practical checklist
- Place the antenna vertically for common LoRa monopole antennas.
- Keep the antenna above the enclosure or away from large metal parts.
- Use short, low-loss coax where possible.
- Test RSSI and SNR in the final installation.
Installation notes
RF range depends on antenna position, enclosure material, cable loss, ground plane, mounting height and the final installation environment.
Testing advice
Measure RSSI, SNR, packet loss or throughput in the final product position. Bench tests often look better than real installations.