Mobile broadband antenna

[TJ Whitt]

Reading around here on ST and on the net, I've noticed that the antenna's that come with the amp kits are usually around 5dB gain. Right now, I can not afford an amp kit so I was wondering what signal reception a 10 to 15dB gain antenna would give by itself on the Verizon 3G network?

 

[Wes Carter]

This is far from a scientific assessment, but I use an antenna with a 12db gain if I remember correctly. I don't have an amp. I use a Pantech UM-150 plugged into a Cradlepoint 150 wireless router. The only place I have tested the difference is in my driveway, but I get two and sometimes three lights on the modem, with the antenna I get all four lit up. Some of that might be due to the modem being inside the car, but because these modems operate in the UHF spectrum they do penetrate solid materials fairly well.

Since you can get UHF antennas for very little money, you could try it first and see how it works for you. If it's not enough, you could always add the amp. Gordon Spencer is the resident expert in these matters, hopefully he will see this thread and chime in. All I know is my own personal experience. Gordon does this stuff for a living running http://www.maximumsignal.net/. You can probably find some info there as well.

 

[Tim Stoecklein]

My $0.02 is two-fold...1) Be leery of marketing behind antenna gains, those numbers are often touted to be much higher than their actual performance, and 2) I've had improved performance on both phone and data card with an external antenna connected. It's obviously not as much as an amp, but anything that sends/receives outside the shielding of your vehicle should give you some improvement. Make sure, if you are using a mag-mount antenna, that you place it on the center of the roof (for adequate groundplane) with as much stand-off as you can get from other antennas and/or metal.

 

[Gordon Spencer]

Beware of vendors claiming 10 to 15 db gain with an omni directional antenna . It is not possible , unless the antenna is 9 feet long. I will tell you everyday of the week the best antenna I sell dollars to performance is our 5DB mag mount. It is lab rated for 5DB but have had users report up to 12 DB gain . One of these users is the USDA . They buy this antenna off me for their m800 bag phones.

 

[Jane Herbert]

Clyve & I got a 7dB antenna this year and have found that it has made a great difference to reception in places like Arkansas, the Nebraska sandhills and the Texas Panhandle ( we're with Sprint) - not perfect but a heck of a lot better and far fewer dropouts.....

 

[Jim Parsons]

Beware of vendors claiming 10 to 15 db gain with an omni directional antenna . It is not possible , unless the antenna is 9 feet long. I will tell you everyday of the week the best antenna I sell dollars to performance is our 5DB mag mount. It is lab rated for 5DB but have had users report up to 12 DB gain . One of these users is the USDA . They buy this antenna off me for their m800 bag phones.

With your Rockies amp....Would there be a noticeable difference between your 5db and 9db antennas?

 

[rob.cannon]

It still comes down to the power, current and resistance. Without an amp the antenna will only do so much before it's completely useless. If the power rating on your wireless card is low, it won't matter if you get a 5db or a 9db.

 

[Gordon Spencer]

Not really , That amplifier communicates with the device and the tower and adjusts the power as needed . Only if you were in severley bad area would you notice the difference. That Rockies package has given some users up to 32db gain . Every 3DB is double the signal.
3 db signal is twice as strong , 6 DB - 4 times stronger , 9 DB - 8 times stronger , 12DB 16 times stronger , 15DB - 32 times stronger and so on . You get the pattern.

With your Rockies amp....Would there be a noticeable difference between your 5db and 9db antennas?