Choosing an Antenna

Your choice of directional antenna will most likely be based upon:

  • Size and weight limitations

  • Desired transmission distance

  • Radio frequency (the antenna should be designed for the radio’s frequency)

  • Cost

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Images courtesy of moonblink.com

Antenna dBi and transmission distance

Antennas with higher dBi values will be able to transmit further. A general rule of thumb (gathered from fpvlab.com and zytrax.com) is:

  • Increasing the antenna gain by 6dBi (i.e. from 2dBi to 8dBi) will double the range

  • Increasing the transmitter power by 4x (i.e. from 20mW to 80mW) will double the range

The standard 3DR radio comes with a 2dBi antenna.

Where to buy

Below are some retailers/antennas that users have reported success with: