What 60km of LoRa range testing taught us about antenna placement

["Link-budget calculators are a starting point, not a promise. We took FieldNode units along the Lagos–Ibadan corridor to see how theoretical range held up against real terrain, foliage, and RF noise from nearby cell towers.", "Antenna height mattered more than transmit power. Raising a node from 1m to 3m off the ground gained more reliable range than doubling output power, at a fraction of the battery cost.", "We now ship a mounting bracket with every FieldNode unit and a one-page siting guide, because the best radio design in the world doesn't help if the antenna sits in a ditch."]