Buyers Guide
What do I need to get started?
The Aranet system contains two key components. Sensors and Base Stations. The sensors detect readings from your environment and the base station reads the data from the sensors and communicates back to Trym.
Base Station
You’ll need at least one Base Station to connect to your sensors. You’ll also need a reliable internet connection (WiFi or Ethernet) for the Base Station to connect successfully with Trym. Base Stations must be selected based on the number of sensors you'd like to connect to the Base Station.
- PRO Base Station (12): Can connect to 12 wireless sensors
- PRO Base Station (50): Can connect to 50 wireless sensors
- PRO Base Station (100): Can connect to 100 wireless sensors
As an example, if you plan to have two Base Stations located at different locations in your facility and you plan to have 100 sensors total, then you should purchase two of the PRO Base Station (50) units.
Sensors
Each Sensor is equipped with a wireless transmitter that communicates back to the Base Station. Currently we offer sensors for temp/humidity, substrate (EC, VWC, Temp), CO2, and PAR.
What is the wireless sensor range?
The wireless technology the sensors use to communicate with the Base Station is called LoRa. Its communication range is far superior to that of any WiFi or Bluetooth devices and can reach up to 2 miles line-of-sight.
In indoor and greenhouse applications the physical construction of your facility is the primary factor in limiting range.
- For greenhouses and other open construction buildings, one Base Station can connect to sensors across a 100,000 sq ft facility when placed in a central location
- For indoor facilities, you may want to utilize 1 base station for every 15,000 - 20,000 sq ft
How many root zone sensors do I need?
Ideally you’d have at least one substrate sensor (root zone sensor) per irrigation solenoid. If this is cost prohibitive, we recommend at least three sensors per room or greenhouse bay to ensure you have representative data you can trust.
How many environmental sensors do I need?
Generally one Temp/Humidity sensor per room or greenhouse bay is sufficienct. If you have microclimates, finding a location which best represents the average conditions is recommended. Because these are wireless sensors, you can easily move them around the room to monitor the microclimates or add additional sensors as needed. Similar advice goes for CO2 sensors if you are adding supplemental CO2 to your rooms, however because you are measuring gas concentration, only one per room or greenhouse bay is needed.
Still Have Questions?
Schedule a time to meet with a member of the Trym team and we'll be happy to answer any questions that you have.