calc.engineer / LoRa & Meshtastic / LoRa Range Estimate

LoRa Range Estimate v1.0.0

Estimates LoRa maximum communication range by computing the free-space path loss (FSPL) link budget and applying terrain-dependent correction factors. Calculates total link budget from transmit power, antenna gains, and receiver sensitivity, then solves the FSPL equation for distance after subtracting terrain losses (0 dB open to 50 dB indoor). Returns estimated range in km, link margin at 1 km, and effective path loss. Useful for Meshtastic deployment planning and coverage mapping. Terrain corrections are empirical estimates; real-world range varies with elevation, foliage, and weather.

Transmit power in dBm. Typical LoRa: 14-30 dBm depending on region and module.
Carrier frequency in MHz. Common: 868 (EU), 915 (US/AU), 433 (Asia).
Transmit antenna gain in dBi. 2.15 dBi = half-wave dipole.
Receive antenna gain in dBi. 2.15 dBi = half-wave dipole.
Receiver sensitivity in dBm. Typical LoRa SF10/BW125: -130 dBm. Varies by SF and bandwidth.
Terrain type for path loss correction. open: line-of-sight, suburban: light buildings, urban: moderate buildings, dense_urban: city center, indoor: inside buildings.
Fill in the inputs and Compute to see the structured result.

From an agent (MCP) or the API

curl -X POST https://calc.engineer/api/lora_range_estimate \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"tx_dbm": …, "freq_mhz": …, "tx_gain_dbi": …}'

MCP: connect to https://calc.engineer/mcp and call lora_range_estimate.

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