Signalplus 12dbi Omni-Directional 3.6'ft Antenna 824-960MHZ from Amazon. $89

[norwichfeeder]

Signalplus 12dbi Omni-Directional Antenna 824-960MHZ-Outdoor LoRa Antenna 868mhz 915mhz for Verizon, AT&T, Sprint with 32ft SMA Cable

https://www.amazon.com/Signalplus-Omni-Directional-Antenna-824-960MHZ-Outdoor-Verizon/dp/B0917CPP84/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=signalplus&qid=1628194858&sr=8-5

I'm getting pretty decent results on this omni-directional 800mhz antenna for my p25 scanner setup.

It comes with cable, which always sweetens the deal lol. Cables are expensive.

I may buy a shorter cable and test it vs. the 32 or 50 foot cable that comes with them. Heck, I may just buy another one of their antennas with a shorter cable.

Only took about 15 days to come from China via amazon. I have no idea what all the LoRa and mining stuff is about for this antenna. I just needed a decent outdoor omni 800mhz, and this one seems to be of good quality.

Last few days seemed to be rough on my 800mhz antennas overall, I think its the weather, atmospheric pressure, and of course the heavy wet summer leaves don't seem to help. It happens every now and then.

Antennas, frequencies, propagation and all that stuff have always intrigued me.

Anyway, I think this is a decent antenna if anyone is looking for a omni in the 800mhz range.

 

[prcguy]

The gain spec is a complete lie, they might as well have said 22dBi gain. It takes about 9ft of antenna to get that much gain at 800/900MHz. It's probably more in the 6 to 7dBi gain range at the most.

 

[norwichfeeder]

The gain spec is a complete lie, they might as well have said 22dBi gain. It takes about 9ft of antenna to get that much gain at 800/900MHz. It's probably more in the 6 to 7dBi gain range at the most.

Yeah, lol, it is what it is, that is something you learn quickly when buying antennas of any kind. I can only go by my spectrum analyzer. I can tell you this one works great.

 

[CanesFan95]

I would recommend rubber-taping up that connector so you don't get rain/water in the coax.

 

[Viking1]

The gain statements are a joke just like using RG58 above 170mhz.... I'd put that thing on a vna to see if it's even tuned anywhere.

 

[WPXS472]

I have an antenna I bought to use with a wireless internet modem that is advertised to operate from 700 MHz to 2700 MHz. I think "operate" is the operative term. I haven't swept it as of yet, but I would be willing to bet that the return loss is only good in one or two spots. I replaced it with a dual polarized dish. I have been meaning to do some antenna testing for quite some time. When the weather cools a bit, I have several I need to check out. I agree with others. Lying about antenna gain seems to be the norm.

 

[kb5udf]

You can expect about 5db loss from the 32ft. of rg58.

 

[norwichfeeder]

You can expect about 5db loss from the 32ft. of rg58.

We will see, I hope so.. It really going to be awesome when I get a short cable.

 

[norwichfeeder]

The gain statements are a joke just like using RG58 above 170mhz.... I'd put that thing on a vna to see if it's even tuned anywhere.

Yup, lol, oh well.. It's working great for me. I can tell it's working good in 800mhz range with my own eyes. So that's all that matters.. Can I make it better, with better short cable? Sure.

Do I need to right now.. not really. But I will eventually.

I need at least 15 feet of cable though, any recommendations please? Just needs SMA Male on one end.

I'll prob just buy another one of these cables.

15 feet(5 Meters) Low-Loss S-LMR240 Size Coax
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NY34FXV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Thanks.

 

[Viking1]

Yup, lol, oh well.. It's working great for me. I can tell it's working good in 800mhz range with my own eyes. So that's all that matters.. Can I make it better, with better short cable? Sure.

Do I need to right now.. not really. But I will eventually.

I need at least 15 feet of cable though, any recommendations please? Just needs SMA Male on one end.

I'll prob just buy another one of these cables.

15 feet(5 Meters) Low-Loss S-LMR240 Size Coax
Amazon.com: 15 ft Low-Loss Coaxial Extension Cable (50 Ohm) SMA Male to N Male Connector, GEMEK Pure Copper Coax Cables for 3G/4G/5G/LTE/ADS-B/Ham/GPS/WiFi/RF Radio to Antenna or Surge Arrester Use (Not for TV): Electronics


Thanks.

LMR400 at a minimum for 700mhz and up

 

[CanesFan95]

For only 15 feet? LMR-240 should be fine.

 

[norwichfeeder]

For only 15 feet? LMR-240 should be fine.

Well actually 25' feet would be more ideal.. I could make 15' work, if I moved the whole system, and drilled new holes in the wall. Other then the old lady yapping I could make 15' work. So either 25' of LMR400 or LMR240.. I got some googling to do. Thanks everyone.

 

[mmckenna]

For only 15 feet? LMR-240 should be fine.

I agree. In a mobile installation, it would be 15 feet of RG-58, maybe RG-58 dual shield, and everyone would be happy.
For a base antenna with some gain, something like LMR-240 would be just fine, even at 25 feet. LMR-400 is stiff and can be difficult to run in residential applications, it needs room for a minimum bend radius. At 800MHz/25 feet, the difference between LMR-400 and LMR-240 is about 3/4's of a dB, and if this is for a scanner, it's unlikely you'd be able to hear that with your ears.
In addition, connecting LMR-400 directly to a scanner is a really bad idea. Since it's a stiff cable, it can easily damage the antenna jack on the radio. That's an expensive fix. The solution would be to use a short whip of thinner/more flexible cable, and those extra connectors add a bit of loss. By the time you are all done, you'd probably be dang close to what you'd have with just the LMR-240 with proper connectors on each end.

 

[CanesFan95]

Yeah, even if you go 25 feet, LMR-240 is still perfectly good. It's be much easier to bend around. Have you ever had L:MR-400? It's rather inflexible which really doesn't work well for short distances.

 

[norwichfeeder]

25' of lmr400 for $70 or 15' for $45 Amazon.com: Times Microwave 400-n-SMA-25 LMR-400 Antenna Line Coaxial Cable with N Male & Straight SMA Male Connectors (25 feet).: Times Microwave: Electronics

or..

25 feet(5 Meters) Low-Loss S-LMR240 Size Coax for $42
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NY34FXV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Now that I think about it, I need x2 of them at 25' or two or one 15' and drill a new hole/move system.

Quit being a weenie, just drill the damn hole.

 

[norwichfeeder]

Yeah, even if you go 25 feet, LMR-240 is still perfectly good. It's be much easier to bend around. Have you ever had L:MR-400? It's rather inflexible which really doesn't work well for short distances.

No, I only have a LMR240, on my yagi now, which I may just stick with and buy another.. That cable is stiff enough as it is. Great advice though guys.

More I think about it.. Spending $70 on just a LMR400 cable is a lot. And in my situation, won't yield any major results vs. cost over the LMR240 cable. I don't doubt the LMR240 cable will be better then the 32' feet of the cheap included rg58.

Every non dB loss counts. I'll take it.

 

[mmckenna]

https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=342_344

I priced out a 25' Times Microwave LMR-240 cable with RFI brand male N connector on one end, RFI brand male SMA connector on the other end, and heat shrink on both connectors, and it came to $39 before tax and shipping.

You need to be careful about Amazon/E-Bay selling LMR-XXX "Like", "Similar" or "Equivalent" cables. Some of the stuff is cheap Chinese junk cable, some of it is good. You need to be sure of what you are getting. When you can get the true Times Microwave brand cable for the same price, I'd absolutely go with that.

The RFI brand connectors are good. I've used them for years.
The heat shrink over the cable ends is a good addition as it acts like a strain relief and extends the life of the cable.
The Antenna Farm is a reputable place. I've purchased a few times from them when it's a small order and below the minimum limits of the big dealers I use.

And don't forget about PROPER weatherproofing of the outdoor connections. That means using the right sealing tape. Just using electrical tape isn't good enough. You don't want moisture getting inside the connector/cables.

https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=627_656_658&products_id=9023

 

[norwichfeeder]

https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=342_344

I priced out a 25' Times Microwave LMR-240 cable with RFI brand male N connector on one end, RFI brand male SMA connector on the other end, and heat shrink on both connectors, and it came to $39 before tax and shipping.

You need to be careful about Amazon/E-Bay selling LMR-XXX "Like", "Similar" or "Equivalent" cables. Some of the stuff is cheap Chinese junk cable, some of it is good. You need to be sure of what you are getting. When you can get the true Times Microwave brand cable for the same price, I'd absolutely go with that.

The RFI brand connectors are good. I've used them for years.
The heat shrink over the cable ends is a good addition as it acts like a strain relief and extends the life of the cable.
The Antenna Farm is a reputable place. I've purchased a few times from them when it's a small order and below the minimum limits of the big dealers I use.

And don't forget about PROPER weatherproofing of the outdoor connections. That means using the right sealing tape. Just using electrical tape isn't good enough. You don't want moisture getting inside the connector/cables.

https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=627_656_658&products_id=9023

Oh wow! I didn't know antenna farm had a custom cable system. That's really cool! Ty!

You are right about amazon. I read the reviews for hours before I buy a product. The cables I linked, and bought are of good quality.

I have some zip tape to weatherproof.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[norwichfeeder]

Well you guys are right.. Antenna cable is as important as the antenna, if not more.

I used this advice and just quickly switched my new antenna, to my old antennas LMR240 15' cable. Wow. Huge gains in dB. So it's a great 800mhz antenna, but obviously the included 32' rg58 cable gives lots of loss.

I can see a much better signal in sdrtrunk's spectrum analyzer.

I need to order a new cable.

 

[CanesFan95]

Amazon is flooded with fake reviews. By the way, in that photo in the first post, it looks like the antenna isn't quite completely clear over the edge of the roof. Perhaps you might consider mounting it up at the apex of the roof so the whole antenna is above the surface for better receive. I use an end gable antenna mount on mine with good success.