Guide to Selecting an Outdoor Antenna

Guide to Selecting an Outdoor Antenna main image Guide to Selecting an Outdoor Antenna image

What type of antenna do I need?

There are two main types of roof antennas - omnidirectional (collinear) antennas, and directional (Yagi) antennas.

 

Omnidirectional

Omnidirectional antennas are designed for areas around town or in the suburbs where there are often several cell towers within range.

With this antenna, your mobile decides which tower offers the best signal.

Because omnidirectional antennas spread their power over a 360° range, they do not receive signal as strongly as their Yagi counterparts.

 

Directional

Directional, or Yagi antennas are usually the more popular choice, as their high power provides the strongest increase of all antenna types.

There is a trade-off - directional antennas need to align in the direction of the cell tower - the higher the dBi gain, the more precise you'll have to be.

In deciding between Yagi models, the wider angle of the 12-14dBi antennas make them more suitable for hilly areas, with the 15-16dBi antennas more suited to very long range connections with less hills in the way.

There are typically three Yagi antennas that we recommend for different areas depending on the terrain and distance:

  • 12dBi LPDA Yagi: short distance (1-15km) or nearby hills (0-2km)

  • 14dBi Yagi: moderate distance (5-30km), no immediate hills (>1km)

  • 16dBi Yagi: long distance (20-70km), flat area (hills > 5km away).

All these antennas must be plugged into either a Smart Repeater to broadcast phone service inside the building, or connected directly into your modem or mobile phone with a patch lead.

View our selection of outdoor antennas.

yagi gain explanation 14dBi vs 16dBi house directional antenna