Building a Helium IoT Antenna Network: From Radio Engineering to Cryptocurrency Rewards
How and why did I get interested in Antennas?
At the time I began exploring antennas and radio engineering for crypto mining, I was in a period of studying meditation. I was watching all the youtube content I could find from yogis, saddhus, buddhist monks, to learn about the world of meditation. I was deeply interested and spent all my free time diving in or practicing myself. At the time I was also building a meditation and yoga brand called Zafu, so I was encompassed in meditation from entertainment, to work, to practicing. I then noticed that a lot of renunciant hindu monks, who spend much of their lives meditating give away all of their belongings, yet they kept a picture of their guru as one of their few prized possessions. I found this to be intriguing that a picture could be such a powerful object that it was worth keeping past all other possessions. It made me think, what should the focus of my meditation be? What do I want to become in greater union and understanding with? At the time, I chose Nikola Tesla. Not to worship but to focus my study and growth of understanding on. I chose Tesla because similar to the transcendent nature of powerful yogis and meditators, Tesla seemingly broke the paradigm of what we thought was possible, scientifically. I printed out a photo of Nikola Tesla and meditated with it. Upon exploring Tesla's work, I became more fascinated with electromagnetics, energy, and physics. I purchased a small tabletop antenna and placed it next to Tesla. This eventually primed my brain to jump into Helium when I learned that a cryptocurrency was utilizing radio waves as a proof of consensus.
I purchased a helium miner. On the first few days I set it up in 2021 it was earning a noteable amount of USD with the stock antenna. I decided I needed to upgrade my antenna to improve my earnings. So I googled radio shop, and drove to one of the locations that showed up on Google. I was expecting a Radio Shack, however what I found was a CB Radio shop for a Semi-Truck stop deep in the valley of Phoenix Arizona. I walked in and said I was looking for an antenna for my crypto miner. In 2021, I wasn't expecting much of a response for this out of the ordinary request, however the shop owner was clearly a curious engineer and found it fascinating. He offered to let me set the miner up on his roof, explaining that the height of the antenna is of key importance for maximizing the signal distance of the antenna. This was the first of 50+ times I ended up spending working with the owner of the CB shop in brainstorming, designing, installing, managing, upgrading and fixing Helium Antennas.'
The Helium Network: Decentralized IoT Infrastructure
The Helium Network is a collection of decentralized wireless networks (5G, WIFI, LoRa IoT, etc.) that rewards users with HNT (Helium Network Token) cryptocurrency for providing network infrastructure and coverage. By deploying strategically placed antennas, miners can earn rewards through:
- Proof of Coverage: Demonstrating wireless coverage to nearby hotspots
- Data Credits: Routing IoT device data through the network
- Network Consensus: Participating in blockchain validation
the blockchain transactions on Helium provide quantitative data on the antennas signal strength and coverage across different connections, allowing for measurement of radio engineering progress.
Our Antenna Configuration
Protecting sensitive electronics required custom weatherproof enclosures:
- NEMA-rated enclosures: IP65+ protection against dust and moisture
- Thermal management: Thermal Paint Passive cooling for Arizona's extreme heat
- Hardware: Custom Built Antennas, Coax Cable, Splitters, Amplifiers, Tower, etc.
We analyzed various antenna configurations to optimize signal propagation across Arizona's diverse terrain. The key factors we considered:
Site Survey and Planning
Each antenna deployment began with comprehensive site surveys:
- Azimuth and Elevation optimization: Ensuring optimal coverage and witness distances
- RF propagation modeling: Using terrain data and propagation software
- Existing hotspot analysis: Identifying optimal witness distances (300m-80km)
- Interference assessment: Measuring background RF noise levels
- Line-of-sight verification: Ensuring clear paths to target areasy
- Hardware Quality: Coax cable, antenna, and other hardware efficiency and reliability
Frequency Characteristics
Helium operates on the 915 MHz ISM band in North America, requiring antennas specifically tuned for this frequency range. We tested multiple antenna types:
- Omnidirectional antennas: 360-degree coverage for urban deployments
- Directional Yagi antennas: Focused beam for long-distance links
- Collinear arrays: Enhanced gain while maintaining omnidirectional pattern
Antenna Gain and Pattern Analysis
Higher gain antennas concentrate RF energy, extending range but reducing vertical coverage. We measured the trade-offs:
Low Gain (3 dBi): Wider vertical pattern, shorter range
Medium Gain (6 dBi): Balanced coverage for suburban areas
High Gain (9+ dBi): Long-range links, narrow vertical pattern
Installation Challenges and Solutions
Rooftop Deployments
Rooftop installations presented unique challenges in Arizona's extreme weather conditions:
- Wind loading: Securing antennas against monsoon winds up to 70+ mph
- Temperature cycling: Managing expansion/contraction from 20°F to 120°F+ swings
- UV degradation: Selecting materials resistant to intense desert sun
- Lightning protection: Implementing proper grounding systems