Helium Hotspot Best Practices: Placement, Antennas and Uptime
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A Helium hotspot is a LoRaWAN gateway: it gives nearby sensors and trackers a way to reach the internet. How well it does that depends far more on the installation than on the box itself. These are the practices that matter most for useful coverage.
1. Pick a location that adds coverage
Coverage is most useful where there isn't much already. Before you install, check the Helium network map to see where hotspots are active near you. Two hotspots in the same building cover the same area and add little.
2. Mount the antenna outside and as high as practical
LoRa signals at 915 MHz are blocked by walls, hills, trees and buildings. An antenna on a roof or mast with a clear view of the horizon reaches much further than one inside by a window. Use a wall pole or mast mount, and keep the antenna clear of metal.
3. Match the antenna to the terrain
Higher-gain antennas push more signal toward the horizon, which suits flat, open country. In cities or hilly areas, a 3 to 6 dBi antenna often covers nearby devices better. Our article on antennas and frequency explains the trade-off.
4. Keep the cable run short and low-loss
Every metre of thin cable wastes signal. For runs longer than a few metres, use LMR-400, which loses about 1.4 dB over 10 metres at 915 MHz. Better still, put the hotspot in an outdoor enclosure next to the antenna. Work out the loss for your own cable run with our free coax cable loss calculator.
5. Protect the install and keep it online
Add a lightning surge arrestor to any outdoor antenna, and use wired Ethernet rather than Wi-Fi so the hotspot stays connected. Check on it now and then in the Helium app.
Not sure which antenna, cable and mount suit your site? Try our free Antenna Setup Planner.
