How Do I Choose The Right Omnidirectional Antenna?
David from Cyntony explains how to choose the right omnidirectional antenna.
Finding the right Omnidirectional Antenna: Key Takeaways
When looking for the right omnidirectional antenna for your application, there are a few key questions that you want to consider.
- Is the antenna for receive only?
- If transmitting, does it need to account for low, moderate, or high levels of power?
- What platform will the antenna mount to?
Handheld, manpack, vehicle, portable and fixed site, all the way to naval, and spacecraft. - What’s the frequency of operation?
For transmit, what’s the maximum continuous power the transmitter will output? And what maximum VSWR can the transmitter tolerate? - What gain and radiation characteristics are required? Relatedly, is a ground-plane dependent or independent omnidirectional antenna desired?
To find the optimal antenna, exploring these questions will put you on the right track!