With a Radio Frequency system, what is the real range?
I love listening to engineers try to not answer this question Experience is the only true answer. Radio transmitters shout a message and a receiver tries to hear that message. The strength of the shouting and the sensitivity of the ears listening determine the range. Lower power radios (used primarily in walkby and driveby systems) have a range from 10-1000 ft. depending on everything. High power radios (used in fixed network) have a range of mile to 10 miles depending on the same everything. Any other answer is just guessing. Most systems today read 99% of the meters they try and read. This is a huge improvement over manual systems and the range issues are overcome in the field by the humans operating the reading equipment.
