ESP8266 Community Forum

I'm enjoying using the esp8266 for indoor low power sensor applications, but looking for some outdoor hardware where no WiFi exists.

I only need to report small packets (temperature) every hour, so I am thinking a lower frequency module will give me longer range.

I have come across the HopeRF modules that can be controlled with Arduinos and was wondering what experiences folks have had with these or alternatives?

A lot of the HopeRF modules seem unavailable so not sure if actively developed.

Also they seem more expensive compared to the esp8266.

How does ZigBee compare? I don't need encryption, just low power and ~25m outdoor range.

There is Lora:

LoRa is a low-power wide-area network protocol developed by Semtech. It is based on spread spectrum modulation techniques derived from chirp spread spectrum technology.

What about using the ESP in peer to peer mode? ESP-Now allows you to talk between two or more units with no Wifi router

Have you thought about sticking with wifi but using an esp8266 module with external antenna connector?

You could then use either a higher gain antenna or a directional one pointed towards the nearest router to get quite a good range.

There is a lot of material on this available and some impressive ranges achieved.