Range Margin
It is the allowance deliberately left between the working distance actually needed in the application and the open-field range of the set. Because obstacles, interference, battery ageing and antenna damage reduce the effective distance over time, choosing a set right at its limit soon leads to intermittent operation.
Range is not a fixed number but a span that depends on conditions. A system that works at the limit on the first day of installation becomes intermittent six months later because of battery ageing or a new inverter added to the site. The margin is the allowance that absorbs this change.
When deciding the margin, think in this order:
- Measure the farthest point at which the operator will work, not the average distance.
- Count how many reinforced concrete walls or steel structures lie along that distance.
- Determine whether there are inverters, arc welding or heavy radio traffic on site.
- Based on these three inputs, choose a set whose open-field range is clearly above the distance required.
In practical terms: for a working area of 30–40 metres inside a workshop, a set with 100 m open-field range generally offers a comfortable margin; if the same distance includes heavy reinforced concrete partitions and dense inverter use, a set with 150 m range is the safer choice.
Preserve the margin not only at purchase but also in maintenance: any modification that changes the antenna position requires the margin to be reassessed.
The context in which this term is used: 433 MHz or 2.4 GHz?