Norfolk LoRa APRS testing complete!

The lower power testing has been completed with some interesting results!

The coverage based on a Low Power output on the tracker (100mw) feeding into a 5.5dbi mobile car mounted antenna has proven some interesting results, the antenna on the igate is located inside a roof space approx. 8m above ground connected to a watson x30 5.5db gain on 70cm and the coverage produced from that has been quite surprising covering most of north walsham and the main road leading back to cromer before thorpe market

The NoV has now been issued and been allocated MB7UKT which is now showing live on the map’s after a igate reprogram

The next step is to get the antenna mounted externally (watson x30) at its full height of around 12m then get some LNA and filtering on it to help its RX capabilities along with a small PA to boost its 100mw to between 8-20w (depending which PA is purchased and fitted)

It should get a RX increase of +30db once filtering has been put in place

MB7UKT – UKRepeater.net

MB7UKT – QRZ.com

LoRa APRS Testing – Norfolk

Testing has begun!

Testing has started on the first Norfolk LoRa APRS iGate which is configured on 439.9125mhz
It’s on a temp antenna positioned in the top of the loft at 2E0LSR QTH but will be relocated at some point when additional supplies have arrived

1st LoRa 439mhz APRS iGate in JO02

Testing so far on the first morning since it was put up showed slighly less coverage than first anticipated however this is likely due to position, height and the antenna on the tracker which is mounted on a small penny mag mount whip antenna

Further testing is under way and more details will follow once results have been collected during testing

LoRa APRS 433 / 439

With the increased activity in LoRa, there is now a building presence of APRS over LoRa

Outside of the UK the Freq in use is 433.775mhz
as this freq sits on the UK band plan on a Raynet channel, it’s been suggested to shift further up the 70cm band to the packet section at 439.9125mhz

A useful link to view LoRa Only APRS hits is the website below:
https://lora.ham-radio-op.net
~ Note that this is an external link and is not managed or maintained by us

We have been doing development work and testing with the LilyGo TTGO hardware both the T-Beam and Lora32 esp boards
Tracker – T-Beam-AXP2101-v1.2
iGate – LoRa32 T3 v1.6.1

We’re deploying some iGate’s around North Uist/South Uist (Sysop Barry – GM8SAU) and have a unit on test in North Norfolk (Sysop Kevin – 2E0LSR)

More info and pages to be created for “how to” – coming soon..