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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →You can build an Arduino-based LoRa sensor node that sends environmental readings to a remote dashboard. Arduino’s documented MKR WAN 1310 farming project provides a practical starting architecture: sensors connect to the board, readings travel over LoRaWAN through The Things Network (TTN), and Node-RED displays the data. It is a starting point—not a complete, calibrated weather station—so plan for the measurements and outdoor protection your deployment actually requires.
Choose the radio architecture first
LoRa and LoRaWAN are related, but they are not interchangeable. Arduino describes LoRa as a radio modulation technique for long-range, low-power communication; LoRaWAN adds the protocol and network architecture used to connect devices through a gateway and network service. Arduino’s explanation is available in its LoRa and LoRaWAN guide.
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Weather Meter Kit | $79.95 | Buy on Amazon |
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ESP8266 Weather Station Kit for Switching and Displaying Data for Any City in The World | $19.43 | Buy on Amazon |
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ELEGOO ESP-32 Super Starter Kit with Tutorial Compatible with Arduino IDE | $36.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| Approach | How readings travel | What to plan for |
|---|---|---|
| Direct LoRa | One compatible radio board sends data directly to another board or receiver. | You need a receiving device and a link design of your own; it does not inherently provide a LoRaWAN gateway or network service. |
| LoRaWAN | A LoRaWAN device sends uplinks through a compatible gateway and network, such as TTN in Arduino’s example. | Confirm gateway/network coverage and regional radio-band support for your location before choosing hardware and deployment. |
Arduino says LoRa/LoRaWAN can suit low-power sensing over long distances, but high-bandwidth or latency-sensitive applications are generally a poor fit. Published indicative performance figures should not be treated as guaranteed range or data rate for a particular station: radio conditions and network configuration matter.
Use Arduino’s documented build as a starting architecture
Arduino identifies the MKR WAN 1310 as a LoRaWAN-capable board, and its farming tutorial uses the MKR WAN 1300 or MKR WAN 1310 family. In that example, a board reads a temperature/humidity module, a light sensor, and a soil-moisture sensor at a configured interval, then sends the values as an uplink. TTN receives the messages, while Node-RED provides a way to visualize the readings. See Arduino’s LoRa Farming with MKR WAN 1310 tutorial and the Arduino LoRaWAN device list.
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#1 Best Overall
- Kit represents the three core components of weather measurement: wind speed, wind direction and rainfall.
- It uses sealed magnetic reed switches and magnets so you'll need to source a voltage to take any measurements.
- All of the sensors in the weather meter kit are passive components. This means you will need a voltage source in order to measure anything with them.
- Sensors include Wind vane, Cup anemometer, Tipping bucket rain gauge. RJ11 terminated cables.
- Stand: Two-part mounting mast, Rain gauge mounting arm, Wind meter mounting bar, 2x Mounting clamps and 4x Zip ties.
- Assemble the sensor node. The tutorial uses an MKR WAN board with an MKR Connector Carrier and Grove-compatible modules, and instructs users to attach the antenna. Choose actual sensor models based on the accuracy, interface, and environmental requirements of your station.
- Read and package sensor values. The example uses a DHT library for its DHT22 temperature/humidity sensor. Its sketch is based on the MKRWAN library’s
LoraSendAndReceiveexample. - Send uplinks through the selected network. For the tutorial’s LoRaWAN route, configure the device and TTN path as described in Arduino’s project documentation, then send readings at an interval appropriate to the application.
- Display the data. The documented flow uses Node-RED to receive TTN uplinks and visualize readings. The project also demonstrates downlinks for relay control, but relay control is optional for a weather-only station.
The tutorial identifies ArduinoJSON for parsing TTN downlink messages. That feature is relevant if you add commands, such as relay control; it is not essential to a one-way station that only reports sensor readings.
Decide what “weather station” means for your build
The MKR WAN farming example measures temperature, humidity, light, and soil moisture. Those values can support environmental monitoring, but they do not establish that the project is a complete outdoor meteorological instrument. Arduino’s example does not specify calibration, radiation shielding, wind measurement, precipitation measurement, or weatherproofing.
Rank #2
- The weather station uses the ESP8266-12E to obtain data from the Internet: time of a city, weather data and forecast information for the next 3 days, scrolling on the SSD1306 OLED Display;
- The device can switch to display data from any city in the world - maybe your relatives or friends live there.
- The device uses sensors DHT11, BMP180, BH1750FVI to collect temperature, humidity, Atmosphetic Pressure and light data.
- The weather station reads data indoor via sensor every 5 seconds and uploads it to the Internet every 60 seconds.
- You can see real-time data charts from your phone or computer.Of course you can modify the code to implement different functions.
If you need local sensing that includes pressure, Arduino’s MKR IoT Carrier Rev2 datasheet describes a weather-station example using temperature, pressure, humidity, and light sensors. The cited datasheet does not establish that this carrier configuration itself provides a LoRaWAN link. Treat it as a sensing option, not a substitute for the radio/network design. See the MKR IoT Carrier Rev2 datasheet.
- For basic remote environmental readings: the MKR WAN example’s temperature/humidity and light sensors are a documented base.
- For soil-aware garden monitoring: include moisture sensing, as in the farming tutorial; it measures soil conditions rather than a standard atmospheric weather variable.
- For pressure: select a pressure sensor or evaluate the carrier-based sensing approach separately from the LoRa link.
- For wind, rainfall, or solar/UV readings: the cited Arduino examples do not establish sensor models or implementation details for these measurements, so select and integrate suitable sensors for the required measurement quality.
Plan for outdoor use and deployment
A working bench demonstration is not automatically suitable for unattended outdoor operation. Before fixing a parts list or installation, make sure the sensors, enclosure, mounting, power arrangement, and data interval match the site and measurement goal. In particular, temperature and humidity readings intended to represent outdoor air need an appropriate exposure and shielding design; the Arduino tutorial does not supply one.
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- Check regional compatibility: verify the board’s supported radio band and the applicable regional plan, then check whether a LoRaWAN gateway/network is available where the station will operate. The Arduino pages cited here do not determine coverage or band suitability for an unspecified location.
- Choose sensor interfaces and accuracy: confirm that each module is compatible with the selected board/carrier and that its measurement performance is adequate for the intended use.
- Set a sensible reporting interval: the tutorial reads sensors at a configured interval, but it does not prescribe one universal interval. Balance how quickly the data needs to update with power and network constraints.
- Test the full path: verify sensor readings at the node, successful uplink reception, and the dashboard output before relying on remote data.
Understand what the example does—and does not—prove
Arduino’s documentation establishes a useful combination of a LoRaWAN-capable MKR WAN board, sensor modules, TTN uplinks, and Node-RED visualization. It is a farming/ smart-watering project rather than an independently validated weather-station design. The cited material does not provide calibration results or establish measurement accuracy, all-weather durability, or specific range for a particular installation. Use it to structure a prototype, then validate the sensors and enclosure for your own deployment.
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