Antenna Recommendation¶
Most LoRa devices ship with a very basic factory antenna that performs poorly.
The Ottawa mesh community has tested many replacements, and the antennas below are highly recommended as reliable upgrades.
Companion Antennas¶
These are SMA antennas and are more compact, yet they’ve consistently shown excellent performance in Ottawa and other meshes. We recommend any of the options listed here.
| Product | Connector | Cost (CAD) | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gizont 167CM 915MHz SMA M | SMA | $10.53 | AliExpress |
| LINX ANT-916-CW-HW-SMA | SMA | $14.65 | DigiKey |
| Taoglas TI.09.A.0111 | SMA | $17.47 | DigiKey |
Repeater Antennas¶
These are N-Type antennas and are best suited for repeaters. At an absolute minimum, all repeaters should use the Alfa antenna — it’s a major reason the Ottawa mesh performs as well as it does. MrAlders0n has made a link between a repeater and a companion at 110KM distance with an Alfa on both ends.
If you want something larger and higher-performing, we’ve tested the Seeed 1300 mm fiberglass antenna with excellent results. Please note that it is 1.3 metres long. We only recommend this antenna for repeaters installed at significant height (around 30 m AGL or higher) and intended for long-distance links or backbone use.
| Product | Connector | Cost (CAD) | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alfa AOA-915-5ACM | N-Type | $34.99 | Amazon |
| Seeed Studio RF Explorer 902-928MHz 8dBi; 1300mm | N-Type | $110 | Mouser |