Helium x DIMO: $2,000 for IoT Coverage Mapping
If you thought that Helium IoT is dead and gone, you are wrong. In this article we’ll take a look at how you can increase the value of the Helium IoT Network, earn more on your own IoT hotspot and grab some DIMO bonus rewards in the process.
What is IoT Coverage Mapping
Before I explain how you can get in on the action, let’s talk IoT coverage mapping. Mapping out the strength of a given area is important as it helps companies and users understand where sensory deployments will function properly. E.g. if you want to track a container or a truck on a given route, you want to be certain there is enough coverage to do meaningful tracking.
The Mappers Coverage map is a crowd-sourced effort, which means that people volunteer to buy a mapper device and send out a signal to see which IoT hotspot replies and what the signal strength is. If you look carefully, you’ll notice green hexagons and grey hexagons. The green ones are the ones that have been mapped out and if you click on it, it’ll show you more information on the performance of the hotspots in that area, as well as when they were last updated.
What is surprising to me, is that there are no rewards in doing so. This means that first of all you have to pay for a device, which costs you $89 for a Wio Terminal or $99 for a RAK Field Mapper , which both come pre-loaded with credits . You can go cheaper with a SenseCAP T1000 at $39 which you’ll have to load with credits yourself at https://dc-portal.helium.com/ . And if you are really creative, you can go for a DIY kit such as the T-Beam Meshtastic . You can find more options here .
So why would you even bother? One reason could be that you are working on a project yourself and you want up-to-date information on the quality of the network in your area before moving forward. It will also show you signals gaps that you can fill by placing new hotspots.
Important side note: if you test your own device, you will be the one receiving the DC credits spend on the mapper. So you are basically sending DC credits between your own devices.
DIMO Macaron
Luckily there is another, rewarding way to map out the IoT network and that is using the DIMO Macaron device, which launched last year and costs $99 Opposed to other mapping devices, the DIMO Macaron earns you $DIMO rewards. These rewards aren’t just inflation tokens, they hold real value as DIMO sells your anonymized data.
And even if you don’t want to sell your data, the app gives you tons of useful info on your car and 3rd party devs can create new apps.
Before you rush into buying one, it is important to check if the device is compatible with your car and you have to be willing to wait 8–10 weeks as they are on backorder. And there is a good reason for it: the DIMO Macaron can give you a ROI in under 2 months as right now it earns you between $50 and $100 per month.
Do note that just as with Helium back in 2021, we know these high returns will not last. However the risk is much lower as the device only costs $100. It also means that every day counts because the amount of tokens release per block is fixed and you will share them with everyone else. More devices = less rewards per device.
Luckily there is a way for you to get your device faster. HeliumDeploy can ship within 2 weeks. That means you’ll be able to start earning 6 to 8 weeks faster compared to ordering on the DIMO website.
DIMO Macaron Mapping Challenge
This brings me to the DIMO Macaron Mapping Challenge organised in partnership with Moken. Starting Sunday 19/05/2024 up until June 30/06/2024, you’ll earn additional rewards for mapping out the Helium IoT network with your DIMO Macaron device.
For this promotion, DIMO has reserved 350.000 $DIMO, which at the current price is roughly $70.000. These bonus rewards are distributed on a Global, State and a city level. The Global leaderboard covers mapping in the US, EU, and Canada and the City & State leaderboards focus on specific regions and city. You can find the detailed list on the Moken website.
You can expect bonus rewards range between $50 in city rewards to $2000 in for the top spot in the Global leaderboard. This is, of course, on top of your normal DIMO rewards.
In order to qualify your DIMO Macaron must interact with at least 10 Helium IoT hotspots before the end of the competition and this within the US, EU, and Canada. It’s also important to know that each device can only be mapped once. If someone beat you to it, it doesn’t count and there is no point in driven circles around the same hotspot.
Conclusion
Both the Mapping Challenge and the DIMO Macaron device are exciting news for the Helium community. Helium IoT miners will receive the DC rewards send out by the DIMO device. On top of that, the Helium IoT Mapper will get updated with accurate information regarding coverage and signal strength, making it more valuable for companies considering to use the Helium IoT network.
I also want to note that even after the DIMO Mapping Challenge, the DIMO Macaron devices will continue to provide Helium IoT devices with rewards as each interaction requires DC credits. This makes DIMO an important use case for the Helium IoT network and it guarantees that the Helium IoT Mapper stays up to date as long as people keep driving with a DIMO Macaron.
If you still have IoT miners up & running, you should take a serious look at the DIMO Macaron.
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- Helium Deploy: https://heliumdeploy.io/products/dimo-macaron?page=1&sca_ref=2796820.ZvFvhf0TgE
See you in the next one
Bren
