	Your Cart is Empty
	View Cart

	Products
	Custom Engineering
	Support
	Press Room
	Policies
	Contact Us

Let us know of your preferences and how we can best serve your wireless needs!

Antenna Guide

This guide has been organized to help customers buy the correct antennas for specific applications. The following items are included in the antenna guide.

Basic antenna information
Helpful antenna terms
Features and uses of common antenna styles
Images of common connector types

Whether customers are new to antenna projects or just need a refresher on antenna connector types, this guide will help customers make a more informed decision on their antenna purchases.

Antenna Basics

When using an antenna with a radio the frequency of the antenna must correspond with the operating frequency of the radio. A 900 MHz antenna must be used with a 900 MHz radio; a 2.4 GHz antenna must be used with a 2.4 GHz radio. A 900 MHz antenna should not be used with a 2.4 GHz radio.

When connecting an antenna to a cable or to a radio, the connector on the antenna must pair up correctly with the connector on the cable or radio. This involves 2 main parts. First, an antenna with a certain connector type (SMA, RPSMA, U.FL, etc.) will only connect properly with a cable or radio if the cable or radio has the same connector type as the antenna. For example, an RPSMA connector will only connect to another RPSMA connector. Second, a male connector only connects to a female connector and vice versa.

Antenna Vocabulary*

Following are some helpful terms to know when trying to find the right antenna for a specific application.

Attenuation

The reduction in amplitude and intensity of a signal. Commonly measured in dB of loss/unit length.

Abbreviation for “Decibels”. Unit of measurement that expresses the magnitude of a physical quantity. An increase of 3 dB corresponds to an approximate doubling of power.

dBi

dB (isotropic) — the forward gain of an antenna compared to a fictitious isotropic antenna, which uniformly distributes energy in all directions.

dBd

dB (dipole) — the forward gain of an antenna compared to a half-wave dipole antenna.

*Source: Wikipedia.com

Antenna Styles

Various antenna types are available, each with unique features and uses. By knowing the features of each antenna type, customers can choose the antenna that best fits their application.


Antenna Type	Features	Uses
Base Station	Omnidirectional Low gain (usually < 5dBi) Withstands harsh weather	Permanently mounted fixed installation Point-to-multipoint networks Where end devices are scattered, portable, mobile, or unknown

Directional	High signal gain in one direction (7 dBi or more) (Point-to-point networks) Withstands harsh weather	Long range connection Not well suited for mobile operation, point-to-point links, and point-to-multipoint links (on the multiple point side of the connection)

Portable	Omnidirectional Low gain Small Usually rugged	Handheld devices Short range links

Mobile	Small Rugged Vehicle mountable (in many cases) Sometimes use metal of car as ground plane	Vehicle installations

Connector Types

	Male	Female
RPSMA
SMA
N-Type
MMCX
U.FL
RPTNC

Antenna Guide

Antenna Basics

Antenna Vocabulary*

Antenna Styles

Connector Types

30-DAY RETURN POLICY

SECURE SITE