For what use cases are the LoRa radios appropriate?

[WhiteHare]

Are they relevant to home automation, or is it mainly for very long-range, outdoor, line-of-sight applications over ranges spanning multiple miles?  I found only one other post on the forum which talks about the LoRa radios, but it didn't really clarify anything.

[Felix]

The RFM69 will be plenty of power and range for the home and around it. LoRa is a more expensive radio that is probably better purposed for denser environments like urban/farm/forest settings where you need higher penetration/sensitivity or just longer range.

[jra]

Some of the high altitude balloon folks are getting crazy ranges out of LoRa but as Felix said it is probably overkill for anything less than a few acres:

http://www.picaxeforum.co.uk/showthread.php?26941-HABAXE2-PICAXE-and-LoRA-High-Altitude-Balloon-Tracker

LoRa might even be overkill for that:

http://www.pocketqubeshop.com/meet-the-pocketqube-team-50sat/

[Felix]

Ha, I think I talked to the qube sat guys once, they are using RFM22B which is 20dBm (100mW) output FSK. I can't remember the details but they deployed the sats in orbit with a group of others then listen when they pass overhead