Abstract

Based on compact and battery-powered remote sensors, a wide-range data collection network has been set up. In its first implementation, environmental radioactivity is measured and transmitted in an hourly cycle via a UHF radio link. In order to provide several years of maintenance-free operation in the open air, the design effort has been directed towards ultimate stability and minimum battery consumption on the transmitter side. By employing state-of-the-art receiver technology at the base station, a radio horizon of more than 100 km (line-of-sight) can be covered with such an application-specific radio sensor network.

While demonstrated with environmental monitoring, this novel approach is attractive for all kinds of low-rate data links, especially for multiple simplex connections from remote locations. Installing an application specific radio network can be an attractive alternative compared to the prolonged use of public cellular services. Arguments may arise from insufficient field-strength (far away from urban areas), from aspects of accumulated cost, from maintenance interval, or simply, when link-availability in case of a severe emergency is an important aspect.