A Helium miner is a device that taps you into the Helium network. It’s easy to set up and promises to become a mighty source of profit in the long term. Learn more about Helium and Helium mining, and how you can set up your device to maximize its effectiveness.
HNT is the native token of the Helium network, a global wireless network for IoT devices that’s changing the way the world is run. By hosting a Helium hotspot, you’ll be contributing to the growth of the network – and earning HNT rewards in the process. Mining Helium is easy – let us explain to you how it’s done!
In today’s blog, we will:
- Introduce the purpose and operation of a Helium hotspot miner
- Explain how you can acquire a miner and the setup process
- Explain why getting a miner now is the right choice for you
What is a Helium hotspot?
A Helium hotspot is a simple device that sends out a radio-powered signal and thereby provides Helium LoRaWAN (long-range wide-area network) wireless coverage. The security of the network’s coverage is guaranteed by the Helium blockchain.
Individual Helium hotspots are randomly assigned “proof of coverage” tasks, which guarantee an impenetrable network and allow hotspots to earn Helium’s cryptocurrency, in the form of HNT. The hotspots can also earn tokens by transferring device data on the IoT network.
Picking the Right Position
Hotspot miners are equipped with a antenna that’s designed to use its location to interface with other miners.
Antenna placement is key to successfully operating a hotspot – as is vertical height and proximity to other hotspots. You can operate multiple Helium miners, as long as they aren’t in the same place – if they are closer than 350 meters, their earning capabilities are severely limited.
There are many ways to set up a Helium miner: In rural areas, your hotspot will have fewer witnesses, but with the right placement, can reach further than in an urban setting.
Using the Emrit App, it’s easy to gauge the effectiveness of your miner. It’s designed to work with all approved hotspot models.
These devices all feature an external antenna, and most of them can be upgraded to a larger stock antenna, thanks to cable glands and other external features.
How much power does a hotspot need?
Proof of coverage hotspots require very little energy, largely because they use radio technology. By eliminating wasteful GPUs, Helium is more energy-efficient than any centralized network. Connecting the average Helium hotspot into your power is like plugging in a 5W light bulb. That’s very little energy: a standard light bulb operates at around 50W.
The best part: The Hotspot quietly sits on a windowsill and won’t ever bother you, while providing wireless network coverage. With Helium, mining and building coverage go hand in hand. That’s how local hotspots around the world can challenge leading wireless technology from centralized carriers.
Purchasing a Miner
Since the approval of HIP19, the Helium Improvement Proposal 19, a hotspot can be any device that has received community approval from the Helium alliance. That means a whole range of third-party products is available to new miners.
Indeed, there are currently 30 approved third-party hotspot devices available to anyone who wants to join the Helium boom, and more on the way. Those devices vary in cost and exact make, but if approved by the Helium community, their compatibility with the network is certified. You may have heard of some of them: from a RAK device to a Bobcat miner and a Nebra Hotspot, there are tons of options for new miners out there.
The real barrier of entry to the Helium network is the cost of these devices. Though some are cheaper than others, they can cost $600 or more – and the payout from the Helium network is by no means immediate.
Though such an investment should more than add up in the long term, it nevertheless represents a significant barrier of entry for many consumers. That, in turn, presents the only real check on the development of the Helium network. Building “The People’s Network” requires people. In fact, it’s based entirely on the willingness and ability of people around the world to acquire and host hotspots.
The Emrit model of profit-sharing
That’s where Emrit comes in. As a distributed blockchain infrastructure company, Emrit subsidizes half the cost of a hotspot, and in return splits the HNT profits with the individual host 50/50.
Emrit’s mission aligns directly with the long-term goals and opportunities of Helium itself! With a network like Helium, centralized, profiteering network coverage may soon be competitively challenged by a people-powered alternative, pressuring prices down as any blockchain project should. Emrit takes it one step further and makes participation in that new phase of infrastructure development accessible and profitable for people like you.
By joining Emrit, you qualify for a partially subsidized CoolSpot for your home. A CoolSpot is Emrit’s version of a Helium hotspot that enables our profit-sharing model and also uses diagnostics and telemetry tools to optimize earnings performance. Using the Emrit app, you can keep track of your CoolSpot’s progress and earnings and will be paid your share of the CoolSpot’s HNT rewards every month!
The best Helium setup involves Emrit
Setting up your first Helium miner can be daunting. But you don’t have to be familiar with tech terms to join the Web3 movement. Don’t worry about your mac address, ethernet ports, or mastering Helium Explorer. Emrit’s CoolSpot devices are designed to make your entry into the world of Helium as easy as pie.
Emrit’s profit-sharing model of subsidized infrastructure distribution allows you to become part of the Helium community at less than half the cost to yourself. That opportunity can set you up with a slowly accumulating wallet of HNT that will only appreciate in value as the network continues growing.
In today’s blog we:
- Introduced the Helium Hotspot Miner
- Described Ideal SetUp conditions
- Alluded to the vast array of Helium mining products
- Explained the Advantages of Emrit’s profit-sharing model
If you are interested in joining Emrit, head to our homepage, and become a member for free today! Helium is only our first project – we’re excited to take you along for the ride as we delve into the next generation of digital infrastructure!
