<![CDATA[Traditional fishing activities in Karawang waters pose a high safety risk due to the lack of cellular signal coverage. Long Range (LoRa) technology operating at the 920-923 MHz frequency band provides an ideal solution for emergency (SOS) communication and tracking; however, the default whip antenna on LoRa nodes is vulnerable to physical shocks and signal attenuation in maritime environments (multipath fading). This study aims to design, fabricate, and evaluate a compact microstrip antenna using an Epoxy FR-4 substrate with an inset feed technique to improve the transmission reliability of low-power LoRa nodes. The research methods include 3D computational simulation, laboratory measurement using a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA), and direct Line of Sight (LoS) field testing on a fishing boat in Karawang waters up to a distance of 15 km. Simulation and VNA measurement results prove that the antenna resonates precisely within the target band, achieving a Return Loss of ≤ -10 dB and a VSWR of ≤ 2. Based on the field tests, the proposed microstrip antenna significantly outperformed the default antenna by maintaining a more stable Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) level. At a critical distance of 10 km from the coastline, the proposed antenna successfully suppressed Packet Loss to only 4% for tracking coordinate data and 0% for emergency SOS signals. In conclusion, the designed microstrip antenna is proven reliable in overcoming maritime propagation attenuation, extending operational range, and supporting faster Search and Rescue (SAR) responses for the enhancement of fishermen's safety.]]>
