Communicate wireless up to 5 kilometers in half duplex.

To build a real open-source PJON packet radio able to communicate up to 5km you need only a couple (for SIMPLEX mode) or two couples (for HALF_DUPLEX mode) of cheap 315/433Mhz ASK/FSK transmitter / receiver modules (the total cost should be around 2/3 dollars) and the PJON library

 

Please be sure of the regulations your government imposes on radio transmission over these frequencies before use.

 

The maximum detected range was experimented launching a balloon with a small payload containing the packet radio transmitting its position every minute. The maximum range obtained was slightly more than 5 kilometers. Two couples of STX882 and SRX882 were used as transceivers. If you choose these modules, remember to set HIGH the pin CS on the receiver before starting reception. Also other similar modules were tested succesfully (315/433Mhz).

 

Using OverSampling physical layer, synchronous acknowledge can reduce the maximum range, on certain media, so if you detect reduced range performance in HALF_DUPLEX compared to a mono-directional or SIMPLEX communication, and you can do without ACK, configure the absence of it after the packet transmission.

 

Experiments in HALF_DUPLEX mode have shown that it seems better to keep isolated the two antennas, using two different, not connected elements to transmit and receive. The first suggested antenna design is a wide beam pseudo half-wavelength dipole antenna made by two 345mm long conductive elements, one connected to ground and the other connected to the input or output pin.

 

A more directional, compact and long range antenna design is the pseudo half wavelength wip antenna. Can be easily crafted with two 345mm long insulated wire sections wrapped with each other every 5mm, one is connected to ground and the other to the input or output pin. This design helps because of its strong ground plane, often necessary to have decent results with these modules.