Any links to online stores should be assumed to be affiliates. The company or PR agency provides all or most review samples. They have no control over my content, and I provide my honest opinion.
Where to buy a Helium Hotspot? UK, EU and US models
I had previously recommended Nebra/Pi Supply, but this appears to have turned out to be a bad decision for me. Like many others, I have been waiting months for my order while Bobcat and others have been shipping.
I am sure Nebra will get around to delivering the hotspots sooner or later, but I have lost confidence in the company, and I no longer vouch for them.
Currently, the SenseCAP M1 or the Bobcat Miner 300 look to be the most realistic choices in getting a miner this year.
For other types of crypto mining, you are normally best to use a mining hosting service which will guarantee a level of service that’s hard to achieve with self-hosting.
Helium Hotspot Review – 27th of August 2021 Update
I recently wrote an article on HNT hitting an all-time high at $25 and if mining HNT was still profitable since the halving and massive influx of hotspots.
So I thought I should do another update of my main review.
In the four months since my last update, we had a crypto crash and my HNT earnings dipped considerably going from up to 10HNT per day down to around 1HNT with a bad day being 0.5HNT. This was expected, the halving happened in August and there has been a massive influx of hotspots. Between that and the issues with getting Hotspots (ie Nebra being useless), I had lost a bit of faith in Helium and crypto in general.
However, in the space of a month, the value of HNT has more than doubled. As I write this, it is dipping quite sharply, threatening to go below $20 again, but it recently reached $26.51 so at 1HNT per day that would be $795 or £580.66. Which earn your investment back in a month. From then it just sites there earning money. Even if it halves again, it is not doing too bad.
Sadly, like many others, I am still waiting on Nebra to deliver my hotspots. There seem to be totally useless with awful communication. I can therefore no longer vouch for them. I am sure they will honour the orders but people have been getting the SenseCAP M1 or the Bobcat Miner 300 in weeks rather than the 5+month wait with Nebra.
Helium Hotspot Review – 10th of April 2021 update
This review seems to be generating a bit of traffic, so one last update. Helium has appreciated in value considerably and it has now become highly profitable, making my original review embarrassingly inaccurate.
Since my original review, which was only in December, the value of Helium HNT has increased well over 10 fold, offering higher returns than BitCoin.
I got rid of the cheap external antenna I previously used and bought the MikroTik LoRa 6.5dBi Omni Antenna, this works properly with the LoRa network Helium. The result of this is that the number of hotspots I have connected to has increased from around 3 to around 25, and my earnings have improved to over 10HNT per day.
With the MikroTik antenna, I still needed to use one of the adopters I previously bought to connect it to the hotspot.
UK and EU buyers need an 868mhz Antenna, there are plenty of options out there. I have previously reviewed the Paradar 8.5dBi & 4.5dBi Helium Antenna and the 8.5dBi is what I currently use.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Type RF Antenna Adapter Kit SMA Connector SMA Male Female... |
£15.26 | Buy on Amazon | |
| Eightwood 4G Omnidirectional Outdoor Antenna 868mhz Antenna... |
£19.91 | Buy on Amazon |
For other Helium related products, you can look at Pi Supply, based in the UK. Most of it is out of stock or pre-order but the links are:
Helium Hotspot Review – 15th December 2020 Update
Following on from my October update, I thought it was only fair to Helium that I post another to reflect the changes in my earnings.
It looks like my scepticism of Helium was wrong.
Since October, the network has expanded another 3,500 hotspots growing by over a third again.
Blackpool, my home town, seems to have an unusually high number of hotspots compared to the rest of the towns in this country. Preston, Blackburn, and Wigan all of which are much larger, has none. Liverpool seems to have just 3. It also looks like Blackpool has a much higher density than Manchester. Perhaps with me being such an early adopter had a snowball effect?
Either way, my earnings have increased considerably. In October, there were hotspots near me, but I wasn’t connecting. I have experimented with running an aerial outside my office window to improve connectivity, and at first, that made no difference, but I now connect to four hotspots in my area.
At one point I was earning around 5HNT per day, but this seems to have reduced down to around 3. The one big exception was when I was awarded four lots of rewards on the same day for a consensus, netting me around 50HNT in total.
Currently, HNT is trading at £0.95 so in my scenario, I am theoretically earning over £120pcm.
Everything I said in my earlier review still remains true, It’s just I appear to have got lucky with my location. It is possible being the first person in your area is also what starts others adopting, so this is something worth considering if there are no hotspots in your area.
Once you do connect to someone, I have found it does become quite exciting looking at what you have earned, how you earned it and who you have been connecting to.
Helium Hotspot Review October 2020 Update
My review of the Helium Hotspot was posted at the end of August, which was the very start of the UK and EU rollout.
At the time, there were just 10-hotspots nationwide, which upon reflection did not paint the best picture for the Helium Hotspot.
As of the 17th of October 2020, the network has expanded to 10,213 hotpots so a 38% growth in the 6-ish weeks this review has been alive.
UK coverage has increased by orders of magnitude. Where there was 10 nationwide, there is now 20 all within a few miles of me. I am quite surprised at how many people have bought one, I thought it would be far more niche than this, especially in my home town of Blackpool one of the most impoverished places in the UK.
While the number of users has increased exponentially, and there are hotspots in my area, the profitability of my unit still remains in doubt with me earning just 0.516 HNT yesterday, and this seems to be the consistent number I make.
The value of HNT has declined by 24.8% in the past 30 days so my income yesterday would have totalled £0.48. The hotspot is located close to my window, though not actually on the window anymore due to leaks in my roof. There should be at least one hotspot within range, if not 4 or 5.
So my overall opinion of the Helium remains the same. I like the technology, it is good to be involved in the rollout out of something so new from a hobbyist perspective. The impressive growth within the UK gives me hope in the success of LongFi in the long term.
With the viability of LongFi becoming more realistic, it is likely we will see more clients use it, which in turn should help improve the profitability of the hotspots.
The commenter at the bottom of this post is a lot more optimistic about the profitability of Helium than I am, I don’t think he is wrong either, it’s just we have a different opinion, and I am generally a sceptical person. Technically based on my current returns, I will generate around £180 worth of HNT per year. Based on 5W usage, it should cost £6.13 to run for a year.
Original Review Posted on 31st August 2020
I was completely unaware of Helium Technologies and its hotspot until I was approached for this review.
It is an innovative new piece of technology that uses a long list of popular buzzwords to lure you in including blockchain, cryptocurrency, and IoT. I am surprised they don’t use AI and do something with 5G.
Looking at the website can make it a little difficult to understand what is going on, some of the content appears to be deliberately complex, appealing to a particular kind of audience.
Under the LongFi page they have a paragraph stating:
Helium LongFi combines the LoRaWAN wireless protocol with Helium blockchain so any LoRaWAN device can transfer data on the Helium Network.
You then click on LongFi to find out what it is and you get this explanation:
LongFi is where the Helium blockchain and the LoRaWAN radio protocol intersect. The uniqueness of LongFi versus a traditional LoRaWAN architecture is that we use the blockchain (sometimes called a decentralised ledger) to enable routing to many Network Servers.
For some clarity, LoRaWAN is Long Range Wide Area Network, and sometimes people refer to low-power wide-area network (LPWAN)
Some of the more user-friendly paragraphs explain that you can:
Provide wireless coverage for low power Internet of Things (IoT) devices and earn a new cryptocurrency, HNT, from your living room.
So what is the Helium Hotspot?
Dumbing this down, as much for myself as anyone else, the Helium Hotspot is a hub for a new low powered long-range Wi-Fi designed specifically for IoT devices such as trackers (which Helium happens to sell).
They are trying to grow a global network (powered by the people) of these hotspots giving them worldwide coverage. However, as they are not giving them away for free, or even cheap, they instead reward you for running a hotspot with their very own Helium (HNT) cryptocurrency.
How much does a Helium Hotspot cost?
So with that completely clear, you are then asked to hand over €450 for the hotspot, so a little over £400. That’s not exactly chump change, costing more than the most powerful Wi-Fi 6 routers on the market. So my immediate reaction was that this would end up being a bit of a scam.
Furthermore, you are potentially on the hook for adding a hotspot to the network, or if/when you want to relocate the hotspot. Though these fees are not currently implemented
Will I make money with Helium and their HNT cryptocurrency? What’s the ROI and is this a scam?
April Update: My original review had Helium with a trading volume of £556,860.99. As I write this, during a dip, the trading volume is £17.6M
My original review quoted lots of successful US users making money off mining Helium HNT, back when it was £1 per HNT.
This has changed a lot, if your hotspot can witness any other hotspot you should make OK money. I picked a random one on a map, it only witnessed two hotspots and make 34.32 HNT pcm. I would have moaned about that back in December but that 34.32 HNT is worth just shy of £400 per month, providing a return on investment within 1 month.
In an area with plenty of Helium Hotspots, it can easily generate 300HNT per month, or £3465, which is quite frankly a ridiculous return on investment.
So how do I make money? How does Helium Work?
It is not just a case of buying a Helium Hotspot and watching the money pile up. Helium needs to build a network of these LongFi hubs with the aim as much coverage as possible. LongFi, as the name suggests, has a much wider range than Wi-Fi. Each hotspot can cover up to 10 square miles, so the more people who invest in hosting hotspots, the bigger the network becomes. So Helium rewards you with more HNT when in range of other hotspots.
While the profitability increases with the more hotspots within range, it will also decrease with over congestion.
So the people that make money tend to be in urban environments where there has been a moderate uptake of Helium hotspots.
For areas with poor coverage, you are shit out of luck, but of course, this may change, this may end up being incredibly successful and investing early will see the most gains.
Maximising your HNT earnings
We already know that more hotspots = more money. However, there is a balance to be had, the more hotspots there are on the network, the lower the payouts become. So ideally, you need to invest early but also in an area with a lot of hotspots. It is worth noting that this, therefore, means the US has had a massive lead over anyone in the UK or Europe.
Helium has further advice, including:
- Deploy Sensors as 30% of all HNT goes to Hotspots that route actual sensor data (such as the trackers Helium sells)
- Ensuring you aren’t the only hotspot in your area is the method most likely to increase your earnings. If you are in an area with three or more Hotspots you are likely to participate as a PoC Challengee and Witness more PoC challenges that are happening around you. These are the two highest HNT distributions for Proof of Coverage per epoch, so optimising around them has a high impact.
- Upgrading to a larger antenna will help in situations where you have other Hotspots nearby but either fail challenges that you participate in or do not witness challenges that they are participating in.
- Opening internet network ports helps in delivering PoC Challengee and Witness receipts to the PoC Challenger
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| 15 Type RF Antenna Adapter Kit SMA Connector SMA Male Female... |
£15.26 | Buy on Amazon | |
|
| Eightwood 4G Omnidirectional Outdoor Antenna 868mhz Antenna... |
£19.91 | Buy on Amazon |
Set-Up
Set up is easy, not much different than many other IoT devices. Beyond the basic initial set up there are a few things to take into account:
- When you initially set up the hotspot, you may get charged to add the hotspot to the network (after you already paid £400+). Currently, this fee is waived, but it may change in the future.
- Once you have placed your hotspot, if you decide to move it you will also incur a fee.
- With you wanting the best range possible, you want to locate this near a window and not tucked away, or behind metal mesh sheets.
In Use / Performacne
Once the Helium hotspot is set up there is not much to do with it, it just sits there and does its thing. You can log in to check your performance that’s about it.
Current performance:
I do quite well, not as well as I’d like considering other hotspots in my area, but over 100HNT per month, which is still extremely profitable.
From my original review:
At the start my results were not good, about 0.5 HNT per day or £0.65 based on the current rates. All my rewards are through mining challenger rewards earning around 0.05 HNT ten times throughout the day.
My poor results are due to no hotspots or sensors in my area. My rewards do seem to be ramping up a little, but it is going to, but I am a long way off the 5+HNT others claim to get when not in range of another hotspot.
For people in areas with other hotspots, you can earn considerably more with various other mining rewards such as being a change which appears to offer 20 times the reward value as a challenger.
Helium has a map of available hotspots so when you are buying you can see how likely you are to earn some money from the network
Helium Hotspots – US vs UK & EU
When I wrote this review, there are 7365 active on the network. This has increased to 26163 in April 2020.
More importantly, the UK coverage has increased exponentially, I couldliterally count the Hotspots on the map, with 10 hotspots nationwide. In my case, the closes Hotspot was 60 miles away in Glossop, where there is a small cluster of 3.
Europe was even worse with 8 hotspots spread out between Portugal, France, Italy, Germany and Prague.
There are now thousands of hotspots and in my town alone there must be well over 50.
Overall
From my original review (where I was very wrong)
While it took me a little while to work to get my head around what Helium were trying to achieve and if this was a scam or not, in the end, I like the concept of it, it is an interesting piece of technology that I think any geek would be interested in.
Most of my reviews focus on value for money and how well a product compares with its counterparts to justify the asking price. That gets thrown out of the window with a device like this; there is no comparable product, and I wouldn’t particularly recommend buying this if you are looking for value for money. There is a reasonably good chance you will never earn your investment back, but this could be said about investing in any altcoin, or bitcoin, or just investments in general.
In April 2021
The above is now inaccurate, since November when I started to connect to other Hotspots, my earnings have increased considerably. Blackpool ended up being a hotspot for hotspots so it has worked out well for me.
The value of HNT has appreciated considerably and it is now extremely profitable as well as an interesting project to be part of.
Not only are you helping to expand the LoRaWAN network, while earning money, but it is also a more guilt-free investment than BitCoin. Bitcoin has a growing problem with energy usage which goes against the grain with the current trend of being environmentally friendly. I have to question how sustainable Bitcoin is. With Helium, it barely uses any energy and it provides a genuinely useful service on top of it.
I think for anyone enthusiastic about cryptocurrency, blockchain, IoT or just technology, in general, this is an exciting project to be part of.
[Original Post 31st August 2020]
[Latest Update : 27 August 2021 ]
Helium Hotspot LongFi Review Rating
Summary
It is hard to rate a product like this; there are no comparables, it has not made my life better, and there is a guarantee it will earn much money. However, it is a fun hobbyist project that I do like. Ignoring the money aspect of it, it will be genuinely interesting to see if they can achieve usable international coverage of LongFi and what products may adopt this technology beyond Helium’s own trackers.
Since my original review, this has become a highly profitable project, as well as a fun one.
Overall
85%-
Overall - 85%85%
Pros
- An exciting new piece of technology that could be widely adopted in the future by IoT devices
- Decent potential to earn money from it/get you investment back if others in your area get hotspots
Cons
- Expensive initial investment
- A massive backlog of hotspot orders
- The Helium Network & HNT cryptocurrency could still fail, so don’t invest more than you can afford.
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
Last update on 2024-04-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The network in the UK and Europe didn’t officially launch until September 2020 which is why the coverage is so low. It’s a lot higher now and it’s only been a month at the time of writing. The US network has been up for a year. My hotspot in the UK has been up for three days and is also in an area where I cannot connect to another hotspot (yet). In the two and a half days it has been running it has earned 0.867 in Helium crypto (listed on exchanges as HNT). At the current price that’s £0.96 so if it keeps that return it will earn over £100 a year. As other hotspots come online the return will boost, I don’t have any trackers or smart sensors so am only getting the basic return. I fail to see how anyone could not get their money back. Just leave it plugged in, it only uses the same electricity as a 5w LED bulb and several people (including me) are looking at solar power as a future power option. For the up to date coverage go to https://network.helium.com/coverage
Valid points, I hadn’t realised how quickly Helium had spread in the UK. Surprisingly, Blackpool seems to have quite a lot of users, more than most other towns in the UK outside of Manchester and London.
I had noticed my earnings dropping off, and the more users on the network, the smaller the payouts. So while it is great to see it expand so quickly in the UK it will be interesting to see if the increased number of hotspots can outweigh the reduced payments. I assume people in London or other major cities should be able to make it profitable easily enough.
I have not had it switched on the past week or so, after moving it and forgetting to plug it back in. But I have set it up again and will leave it running a few days then update the review accordingly to reflect the growing number of UK/EU users.
I stand by my points in the review, though. US users have had a massive headstart compared to us, so it is a lot harder for us to make a profit, and I don’t think users should buy this for the sole purpose of trying to earn money from it. The quick growth in the UK does give me hope for LoRaWAN as a viable solution for IoT devices in the future.
The amount of hotspots in the US isn’t really relevant for the UK other than showing that it’s possible to build the network to that size in a year (they launched September 2019 and use a different frequency than us). If you have 3 hotspots in range (10 miles, less if there are hills, trees) then yes, you will earn more but even on its own it will earn. It will just take longer. Each year there is an adjustment of how the crypto is paid out, so in time there will be more rewards for connecting to a sensor and less for connecting to another hotspot, but that doesn’t mean we lose out to the US. It’s how those sensors are deployed that will determine much of how you get paid. Driverless cars are one of the expected uses for the network (Apple are a partner) and some courier delivery vans use lorawan tracking already. With the layout of our road system compared to the US we are likely to see more vehicles pass within the range of the hotspots, many of their roads are miles from the house. The assumption of a city advantage isn’t necessarily true either. Yes they will have more opportunity to connect to other hotspots but if you are the only hotspot in the village then you have a guaranteed connection with any sensors or trackers nearby – i.e. anything using tracking or sensors won’t be in a position to connect to another hotspot instead, so Mrs Brown’s fancy new cooker will always use your hotspot to connect to the Internet and send a message to her fitbit that “dinner will be cooked in 5 minutes so jog on home”. I don’t think anyone has suggested this is a way to make massive profit overnight, but it will earn you a return that should pay your electricity bill (if you plug it in). The other point to bear in mind is the amount you get is determined in part by the value of the Helium cryptocurrency. When the value falls, as it has since Coronavirus lockdowns closed many of the businesses using the sensors, the crypto has fallen also. So yes, you will have seen a fall in earnings. You could also try placing it in a different window where it can get a better connection.
I live here in barrow-in-furness, i check the hotspot map and no one is doing it, im interested to start it, im planning to buy nebra? Which one is better? Indoor or outdoor?
Outdoor has a month longer wait for it. If you are placing it in a very high up position (such as a mast) the outdoor one would be better, if not, just get the indoor so you can get your return on investment back quicker.
Are you able to setup this equipment in South Africa? I dont see any coverage in Africa at all?
Very little in Australia as well? Why? Can anyone elaborate?
Nebra Au915 is the Australian model
I am not sure about South Africa, you need to have the correct frequency for your region and it is unclear if that would be 868Mhz or 915Mhz. Sorry.
All this sounds very interesting.
Just to ask, if the Nebra is installed in a room next to a bedroom, does it pose health risk?
It is in my office, which is next to my bedroom.
No risks I am aware of. 868 MHz is widely used and not far off what the terrestrial TV uses to broadcast its signal. It is long-range low power so doesn’t really penetrate much.
Thank you very much.
Funny how we spent 1000’s on multiple hotspots, cables, antennas etc, yet no one bothered to do a test with a RF radiation measuring unit.
I have a few devices that measure rf, magnetic and electric radiation, so I will be testing, however, if you mount it up above your house, the waves will not come down, hence why no health risk. That why is better to live under a 5g transmitter than further in its path. Having one, on the window seal of your bedroom or office… will most likely cause health issues in the long run. Should probably place tinfoil or something behind it, since it won’t get any signal from inside the house.
The review was one of the most helpful information I have found. Thank you!
I was wondering what would it be like to be the first one to start it in my country (Albania)?
Can it be profitable or should there be more hotspots around?
With one hotspot it won’t be very profitable, but as I learned in my town when one pops up more will quickly follow. All investments have an element of risk and you should only invest what you can afford to lose.
I’m interested in buying a miner but I’m concerned by the currently 3 month+ wait time and that my area could easily become saturated in that time. I’m in Manchester and could set one up in Sale/Northern Quarter/Middleton. What do you think?
The insanely fast ROI early buyers saw will likely drop off. But it should be profitable, it’s not going to be a get quick rich sort of investment.
In my area, each miner is averaging around 150 HTC a month but I’d be happy with even 50 HTC a month, do you think that’s likely towards the end of this year or do you think it’s going to get a lot slower?
Yeah, I do about 150 a month. I honestly don’t know. I have a few hotspots ordered myself, which I plan to use with friends and family on a 50/50 cut (I might have to reassess that cut)
Due to the number of hotspots about to come online, I think it is best to be pessimistic. So, say my income drops by ten fold. That’s 15HNT per month. Based on today’s price, that’s £123 PCM giving you a positive return on investment in 3 months.
However, like all other crypto, the dream is that HNT will appreciate in value considerably. It has to go one of two ways, really.
If the Helium project/LoRaWAN as a whole is successful and companies start making devices to use it with widespread adoption, then HNT should go up in value considerably. I don’t think it is unrealistic to think a ten fold increase is possible over the next year. So that £123 PCM could then end up working out at £1230
Of course, then there is the risk that the Helium Network will fail or just not be very successful. HNT will still exist, and there are a lot of pointless coins out there that are successful (dogecoin), so it still could do well, but less likely so.
I’m interested and ready to start , i have 2 quick questions
what is the added value for any new hotspot in the network ?
did i can buy 2 hotspots since im from Morocco and there is no one before my range ?
Hi , am looking to buy 3 and place around 300 metres apart in an area where there are none , would that make sense .
Yes, this would be a perfect solution as you will connect to each of your own hotspots for maximum gains – obviously, more hotspots would be better but it is a good start.
Hi, I too live in Blackpool by the prom and was surprised by how many of these miners are in the area and it has me asking if I am too late to the party.
That and the halving happening in 1st August 2021, from your understanding would it sill be a good time to get into Helium mining?
I am considering the Bobcat miner as at least they provide a timeline to get the miner by rather than season of the year as a number of the manufactures have published on their sites. Would you see any issue wit this miner?
Thank you
It is difficult to say. There are 10x more hotspots coming online over the next few months plus the halving, so mining rewards will drop maybe 20x. More hotspots will come online and the rate will drop further.
Based on the current price, it would still be profitable but you might be looking at $100-200pcm instead of the current rate. However, the dream is that this will follow the price and other cryptos, if dogecoin can go up 100x in a year then surely a project with genuine use can do the same too. So I am hoping that in a years time I can still make a few hundred per month from my hotspot.
At the end of the day, most if not all crypto is speculative, you are gambling with your money and it is up to your to weigh up the risk vs reward.
hallo, ik heb een rak v2 miner besteld per ongeluk van UK, weet iemand of het ook in NL kan gebruikt worden en wat zijn de verschillen?
alvast bedankt
hello, I accidentally ordered a rak v2 miner for UK, does anyone know if it can also be used in NL and what are the differences?
thank you in advance
The EU uses the same 868 MhZ frequency as the UK, I think the only difference is the plug socket you get, which should be an easy fix.
Hi James,
I have been following the stories around Helium for around 2 weeks following a clubhouse room that had a Chef that mentioned using the technology across a chain of restaurants and the low energy usage to mine compared to BTC. In all honesty I love the idea of being apart of the mission to grow longFI its very exciting. I am London, Kent based and I wondered wether you have any suggestions around getting access to the hardware to set this up. Looks like the backlog is a huge issue for the future growth. I have joined the list but just thought I’d ask?
Guessing the secondhand market will be a wild Wild West too.
SyncroB.It and Bobcat are still taking orders, but it is about a 4-month wait.
Used or resold miners are either extortionately expensive (like thousands) or a scam. People are selling their preorders too, but you would still have to wait weeks, and Nebra has issued a warning that many of these eBay listings are fake with forged email receipts for the preorders. So, yeah, very much the wild west and not something I’d recommend doing.
hi james,
I am in dubai, need your assistance, is it worth having device in UAE, and if yes how i can get it.
second i saw multiple devices on website, not ure which one is to be selected for purchase.
Hi I live in Stockport UK small town in greater Manchester. There are a couple of hotspots but they’re roughly 1-2 miles away would that be too far to connect to?
It should be OK, especially if you upgrade the antenna and mount it on your roof.
Hi mate there is no hotspots in my area. Nearest one 5 miles away (which is averaging 30 plus pcm) and then a cluster of about ten about 8-9 miles away. Do i need to get 2 and place 3 miles apart or will 1 do the job.
Connecting to the one 5 miles away may prove difficult. A high gain antenna placed high up on your roof might work though.
Deploying your own network of hotspots with friends/neighbours would work best. They need to be 300meters apart, not miles. But yeah I guess if you got two and placed one in-between then closes hotspot, then the middle one might get a connection from 2 hotspots
Hi,
Quick couple questions questions,
I am thinking to order four bobcats to spread around family and friends, locally Looks like there are no places to buy in the UK that I can find, do you have a link to a UK supplier (or supplier of another make) .. I do understand that they need to be preordered and looks like minimum four month waiting list at the moment.
Second question, If I buy from the States, I am assuming I will have to pay VAT and import duties .. is this something that you found ?..
Thanks for the blog
Kev
No UK sellers. Pi-Supply/Nebra were the only ones and they have turned out to be completely useless.
I haven’t ordered any from overseas (foolishly ordered from Nebra), but you should assume that the seller will declare the value of the products and you will therefore have to pay VAT and import duties
Thanks James,
How is the profitability going ?.. still ok ? .. I am looking at getting a couple of Bitcoin mining rigs towards the end of the year, and possibly installing a 10kw solar array to help power them (looking long term).
Looking at some of the returns on Helium seems they are more profitable .. I suspect that is for however that may be only as long as the system is successful .. I think the idea behind it is great.
If I order 4, locating them around 1 to 2 miles around my home I guess would make them more profitable from what I have seen you comment on.
Cheers
Kev
Over $300 pcm and that’s a month past the halving. I am getting my antenna moved to the top of my chimney which should improve things. Hotspots around me earn a lot more, so it feels like the luck of the draw sometimes.
I am pretty sure it has a better ROI that Bitcoin mining, so it seems like a good idea for you.
Yes having multiple hotspots that you own within a few miles of each other would be ideal.
Thanks James
Good stuff .. now just have to order the miners and wait four months for delivery I guess .. seems crazy they make these to order, lots of people seem to be screaming out for them.
Man. What is going on with bobcats atm?
Hi. I love in a rural village with no hotspots near to me. However from my house which is on a hill, I have clear views of wigan, bolton, Manchester and further. Manchester being 20 to 25 miles away. Am I too far away to get involved? I’m on higher ground than them places.
Thanks