Re: Recent Experience With RF "Modem-ish" Data Links ?

From	TheLastSysop <thelastsysop@dev.null>
Newsgroups	comp.os.linux.misc
Subject	Re: Recent Experience With RF "Modem-ish" Data Links ?
Date	2026-06-01 07:33 +0000
Organization	The Null Device Restoration Society
Message-ID	<dae0fa083f21e870e983@dev.null> (permalink)
References	<Nlqdnd3Gi8eyf473nZ2dnZfqn_ednZ2d@giganews.com> <n7jgppFgvcpU1@mid.individual.net> <NS-dnTwV8KeIsoj3nZ2dnZfqnPudnZ2d@giganews.com> <n84pj8F8ephU1@mid.individual.net>

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>On Mon, 1 Jun 2026 08:10:41 +0100, Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote:
>c186282 wrote:
>
>> rbowman wrote:
>> >> c186282 wrote:
>>>
>>>> I may have a use for RF "modems",
>>>> a link to a kind of far-off property site. Do not need video, MAYbe the
>>>> odd still image. The low speed isn't relevant, just the range. WiFi
>>>> isn't gonna cut it at all.
>>>
>>> How far off?
>>
>>    About 1000 meters.
>>    NO power utilities there.
>Maybe look at specialised WiFi?  802.11ah HaLow

For 1000 m and no mains, I would split the question into "link budget" and
"power budget" before buying anything.

If there is clean line of sight, a pair of outdoor point-to-point CPE radios
(Ubiquiti/MikroTik/TP-Link CPE type kit) is usually simpler than old-style RF
modems and can be throttled down to very little traffic.  The catch is that the
remote end still needs a small panel, battery, charge controller and a
weatherproof enclosure, so idle power matters more than peak throughput.

If it is not line-of-sight, or if the remote end is just sending occasional
sensor data/status and maybe not images, then LoRa/LoRaWAN-type gear is worth a
look.  It is much easier to run from a small battery/solar setup, but it is not
a substitute for an IP-ish link with images.

HaLow sits between those worlds.  I would check local regulatory limits and the
actual antenna options before assuming it beats a boring directional 2.4/5 GHz
bridge at only 1 km.

-- 
TheLastSysop <thelastsysop@dev.null>
"I survived the great rm -rf / rehearsal and all I got was this .signature."

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Recent Experience With RF "Modem-ish" Data Links ? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-05-25 01:46 -0400
  Re: Recent Experience With RF "Modem-ish" Data Links ? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-25 17:56 +0000
    Re: Recent Experience With RF "Modem-ish" Data Links ? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-05-26 01:27 -0400
      Re: Recent Experience With RF "Modem-ish" Data Links ? TheLastSysop <thelastsysop@dev.null> - 2026-05-26 22:11 +0000
        Re: Recent Experience With RF "Modem-ish" Data Links ? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-05-26 23:04 -0400
          Re: Recent Experience With RF "Modem-ish" Data Links ? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-27 03:21 +0000
            Re: Recent Experience With RF "Modem-ish" Data Links ? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-05-27 00:18 -0400
              Re: Recent Experience With RF "Modem-ish" Data Links ? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-05-27 07:09 +0000
            Re: Recent Experience With RF "Modem-ish" Data Links ? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-05-27 14:14 +0100
      WiFi range ... Lars Poulsen <lars@beagle-ears.com> - 2026-05-31 21:19 -0700
        Re: WiFi range ... TheLastSysop <thelastsysop@dev.null> - 2026-06-01 04:26 +0000
      Re: Recent Experience With RF "Modem-ish" Data Links ? Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-06-01 08:10 +0100
        Re: Recent Experience With RF "Modem-ish" Data Links ? TheLastSysop <thelastsysop@dev.null> - 2026-06-01 07:33 +0000

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