Helium mining with radio hardware from the aviation scene

11.04.2022

“It’s the perfect amplifier for us!”. The tech-savvy youtuber Sorin from the channel “Crypto Mining & Trading” was quite enthusiastic in his video about Helium hotspot mining. According to his words, he managed to increase the performance of his hardware setup by 30 % with the aid of a jetvision receive amplifier. Thus, he generated a huge demand around hardware for the digging of Helium Network Tokens (HNT) in our shop. In a very short time there was a significant increase in sales figures for radio equipment, such as the FLARM BOOSTER. Plus, tons of inquiries about the ideal use of our hardware. Reason enough for us to delve into this topic.

How big is the Helium boom? In the beginning of 2021 there were only around 15.000 Helium hotspots around the globe. Meanwhile, there are 680,000 worldwide. The enthusiasm seems to have no limits. But what’s the purpose of the Helium network?

In contrast to classic crypto mining for Bitcoin and Co., helium mining does not require large computing power with corresponding power consumption. What you need is an affordable setup consisting of internet connection, hotspot and antenna. The hotspots connect to those of other companies and private persons and form a LoRaWAN network with them. Although this form of wireless connection has a lower data rate than mobile radio networks, it is also significantly cheaper, more energy-efficient and has a longer range. The decentralized network supplies Internet of Things (IoT) devices, e.g. e-mobility such as e-scooters or smart pet collars with internet connectivity – without any WLAN or SIM card at all. Hotspot operators get rewarded with HNT by the Helium blockchain for covering areas. The larger the coverage by a hotspot, the higher the compensation. So everyone installing Helium hotspots in his office, rooftop etc. supports the expansion of the radio-based IoT. And when it comes to wireless data transmission, we come into play as a manufacturer of high-quality radio hardware from the aviation scene.

We are not miners ourselves and we only speak up where we are competent. Coming from the aviation scene, our effective hardware ensures that weak radio signals can be received over long distances. And that’s what Helium mining is about at last.

Our products like the jetvision FLARM BOOSTER are designed for 868 MHz – the same license free frequency band as LoRaWAN in Europe. In North America, both run on 915 MHz and with higher transmission power, which is why we will also bring an amplifier for this into the product range. Such amplifiers actually ensure that small aircraft and gliders find the positions of other aircraft in the same airspace as early as possible and can thus avoid collisions. In this way, FLARM’s air-to-air range can typically be increased up to four times from the usual 5 km thanks to the FLARM BOOSTER.

If one uses an amplifier for a ground-to-ground link like between Helium hotspots, the sensitivity for LoRaWAN can also be increased. This increases the probability of reaching other nodes in the network. Under the right conditions, the radio connection is additionally improved because the signal-to-noise ratio gets better. So much for the theory.

However, this quality only comes into play if the hardware is used in the right way and under the best possible environmental factors. That’s why we want to share basic knowledge for wireless connections, dispel myths and go into more detail on the most frequently asked questions in the next few articles. In addition, we would like to provide reliable facts to the mining community about our high-quality and durable products from European manufacturing, instead of marketing with exaggerated values in data sheets.