Abstract
Within the experimental project of meteorological monitoring in the Regional Forest of Pian Cansiglio (mountain Regions of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy—https://www.piancansigliometeowebcam.it), three professional sensors with LoRaWAN technology have been installed in 2020 and 2021, in three specific experimental locations, chosen for their peculiar climatic conditions (I Bech, 983 m a.s.l.; Valmenera, 903 m a.s.l.; and Rif. Carlo e Massimo Semenza, 2.020 m a.s.l.). After 1 year of data and detailed analysis, Decentlab professional sensors (Decentlab GmbH n.d.), operating in the severe environmental context of the Pian Cansiglio Regional Forest, were found suitable for such monitoring purposes, ensuring accurate measurements in sites where minimum values can drop below − 30 °C and moisture is constant, with big ice accumulations on all surfaces which can completely cover the transmitters. As a further level of development in the IoT segment, a self-built electronic board (called “LoRa Weather board”) was implemented by Dr. Mauro Girotto, based on LoRaWAN technology (Environmental monitoring using LoRaWAN technology: experimental measurements and data analytics platform– Dr. Luigi Laricchia – MSc Informatics (University of Bologna – Italy) n.d.) and The Things Network (The Things Network n.d.). The board has been designed for battery-powered applications and, at the hardware level, is ready for mounting various sensors, depending on the application, including thermo-hygrometers, rain gauges, and barometers. Data are collected since January 2022, and the hardware will be tested in coming winters to achieve the necessary robustness for harsh environmental conditions.
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Full free data availability: https://www.piancansigliometeowebcam.it.
References
Decentlab GmbH https://www.decentlab.com/
Environmental monitoring using LoRaWAN technology: experimental measurements and data analytics platform– Dr. Luigi Laricchia – MSc Informatics (University of Bologna - Italy) https://amslaurea.unibo.it/17312/1/laricchia_luigi_tesi.pdf
The Things Network https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/
Arpa Veneto Regional Monitoring Network - http://dati.ambienteveneto.it/
Environmental monitoring of high altitude „cold pools“ edited by Arpa Veneto https://www.arpa.veneto.it/temi-ambientali/climatologia/progetti/depressioni-fredde1
Kaltluftseen in der Schweiz https://kaltluftseen.ch/
Acknowledgements
We thank all the volunteers and enthusiasts of meteorology and Cansiglio who contribute to the growth and functional maintenance of the systems, together with the adequate scientific support for the technical choices: Bruno, Tobia, Mauro, Massimo, Matteo, Maura, Alex, and others. The stations are located also on regional property managed by “Veneto Agricoltura” Agency (https://www.venetoagricoltura.org/).
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Voluntary self-funded project.
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Costantini, A., Girotto, M. Professional LoRaWAN IoT Decentlab sensors: 1 year of data and analysis within the experimental project of meteorological monitoring in the Regional Forest of Pian Cansiglio (north-east region of Italy). Bull. of Atmos. Sci.& Technol. 4, 5 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42865-023-00059-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42865-023-00059-2