Is a set with 150 m range unnecessary for use inside a workshop?
No, it is not unnecessary. Because concrete walls, steel columns and machine bodies weaken the signal in an enclosed workshop, a set that gives roughly 150 m in the open provides a comfortable working margin in a 40-50 m workshop. Excess range is not a luxury but the reserve set aside for connection stability in an obstructed environment.
The range figure in the catalogue is measured under open-area conditions: no obstacles in between, the antenna free, no interference sources. A real workshop is exactly the opposite.
The headings that weaken the signal in an enclosed environment:
- Reinforced concrete walls and columns; especially the steel mesh inside them.
- Metal racks, steel structures, sheet metal panels; metal surfaces create reflection and shadowing.
- Inverters, welding machines and motor cables; they produce broadband electromagnetic noise.
- Leaving the antenna inside the panel, which on its own is the heaviest loss.
For this reason, in a 30 m workshop, choosing a set with a clear margin rather than 30 m of range is the correct engineering approach. Also, what increases in the ST series is not only the range: the LT200 remote control is Li-Po rechargeable and IP67 protected, which makes a difference in durability in a dusty and wet workshop.
If instead of taking a range margin you rely only on installation quality, make sure the antenna is outside the panel, vertical and a few centimetres away from large metal surfaces; and that the control cables are separated from the power cables by at least about 20 cm.
The full topic: 433 MHz or 2.4 GHz?