Hi Community,
It’s been a while since our data only hotspot for the Helium network was released. But still, people get confused from time to time and ask questions related to the data only hotspot. As a result, we have collected some frequently asked questions in our community and thereby provide answers to them.
Is SenseCAP M2 Data Only a light gateway?
No, it is not. SenseCAP M2 Data Only LoRaWAN Gateway we released at the end of April is the data only type gateway of the Helium network, which is capable of data transmission but does not participate in Helium’s PoC.
The light gateway has not been officially released by Helium. Please follow the Helium announcement for the light gateway development updates. It’s surely on our roadmap, so just stay tuned! Please make sure you are following our social media channels (Twitter, Website, Discord) to receive further updates.
What is the difference between SenseCAP M1 and SenseCAP M2 Data-Only?
They both support the Helium LongFi network but earn in different ways. SenseCAP M1 can get rewarded from PoC (proof of coverage) and data transmission, while SenseCAP M2 Data Only gets rewarded solely from data transmission, No PoC reward is supported for the data-only version.
SenseCAP M2 Data Only will show on Helium Explorer but does not affect transmit scale of any hotspots in the area doing PoC. Also, it doesn’t claim hexes as such, so anyone can come along and put their hotspot in the same hex as yours.
Does SenseCAP M2 Data Only support PoE?
SenseCAP M2 supports PoE (Power on Ethernet). You will need to have an extra PoE switch if your modem/router does not support PoE. The PoE switch should be 40V-57V DC power input and support 12-2A output.
Will there be more frequencies of M2 Data Only in the future?
Yes. SenseCAP M2 Data Only has US915 and EU868 versions with FCC and CE certificates for the US and EU markets for now. And it will have more frequency band versions and corresponding certificates available for different countries and regions. For example, AS923, AU915, IN865, and so on.
Is SenseCAP M2 an indoor or outdoor gateway?
We have both indoor and outdoor versions for SenseCAP M2 Data Only, and you could choose SenseCAP outdoor enclosure to upgrade your indoor SenseCAP M1 and M2 to the outdoor version.
SenseCAP has developed a waterproof outdoor enclosure that fits general hotspots in the market. It will further enable the possibilities for users to have the gateways placed outdoors, therefore more various LoRaWAN scenarios could come to reality.
What is the antenna gain of SenseCAP M2 Data Only?
3dBi. With a 3dBi High-Performance Antenna, SenseCAP M2 could provide Miles of LoRaWAN coverage and a strong signal. And you could always upgrade the antenna to fit your usage scenario based on different environments.
The datasheet of SenseCAP M2 Data Only is as follows. You can check for the exact parameter you are seeking.
These are all the things we are covering here. Hope this article would help.
For more technical documents about the SenseCAP MX series, you can access our doc center: https://docs.sensecapmx.com/home/
Keep track of the latest news and products of SenseCAP MX Helium Hotspot: https://www.sensecapmx.com
