Antenna Selection Guide Portable & Handheld Antennas Portable & Handheld Antennas Portable antennas attach directly to your device and travel with you. The primary trade-off is between size/weight and gain. For handheld use, a compact 2 - 3 dBi antenna is usually optimal - higher gain antennas are longer and concentrate the beam horizontally, which hurts performance when you are at ground level near other nodes. Note on prices and specs: Prices below are approximate as of 2026-06-08 and are volatile - confirm at the linked vendor before ordering. Gain and SWR figures are manufacturer/vendor-reported unless independently measured. Community-Recommended Portable Antennas Muzi Whip 17cm - ~$12 A compact 17cm whip antenna weighing approximately 14g. The vendor reports a measured SWR of 1.3 at 915 MHz (muzi.works) - excellent for a whip this size, though not independently lab-verified. The community generally regards the Muzi Whip as one of the best compact options for everyday carry. Its small size means it fits in a pocket or bag without the antenna becoming an obstruction. Gain: ~2 dBi (estimated for a 17cm 915 MHz whip) Length: 17cm Weight: ~14g (approximate, unconfirmed) SWR: 1.3 at 915 MHz (vendor-reported, muzi.works) Connector: SMA MESHTAC Gooseneck - ~$35 A ~11.5-inch (~29cm) flexible/bendable antenna with a vendor-claimed 4 dBi gain (Rokland). The gooseneck design lets you position the antenna for best orientation regardless of how you are holding the device. Useful for vehicle or pack mounting where the device orientation varies. Note that bending a gooseneck distorts the pattern and reduces realized gain, so treat the 4 dBi figure as a best-case manufacturer claim. Gain: 4 dBi (vendor-claimed) Length: ~11.5" (~29cm) Feature: Flexible/bendable positioning MESHTAC 2.5 dBi Whip - ~$13 A compact 7.8" whip with 2.5 dBi gain (Rokland). Good all-around portable antenna for devices that will be used at varying heights and orientations. Affordable enough to include as a default upgrade over the stock antennas that ship with Heltec devices. ALFA 90° Elbow - ~$12 A 2 dBi, 7.7" antenna with a 90-degree elbow at the base (ALFA ARS-915P, Rokland). The right-angle mount keeps the antenna oriented vertically even when the device is mounted horizontally (e.g., on a belt clip or vehicle dashboard). Compact and inexpensive. Stock Antennas The small antennas that ship with most Heltec and LilyGo devices are functional but not optimized. They are typically short stubs (roughly 5 - 8cm, approximate) tuned broadly around 915 MHz with mediocre SWR - muzi.works, for example, reports a stock stubby antenna at SWR ~3.5 versus 1.3 for their 17cm whip. For serious use, replace the stock antenna with any of the options above. The Muzi Whip is a popular replacement for the Heltec V3. Portable Antenna Comparison Gain and SWR values below are manufacturer/vendor claims; prices approximate as of 2026-06-08. Antenna Price Gain Length Notes Muzi Whip 17cm ~$12 ~2 dBi 17cm Best compact option; SWR 1.3 (vendor-reported) MESHTAC Gooseneck ~$35 4 dBi ~29cm Flexible positioning MESHTAC 2.5 dBi Whip ~$13 2.5 dBi 20cm Good all-around portable ALFA 90° Elbow ~$12 2 dBi 20cm Right-angle base Base Station & Outdoor Antennas Base Station & Outdoor Antennas Outdoor and base station antennas are designed for permanent weatherproof installation at height. They use larger radomes and N-connector interfaces, and are tuned more precisely than portable whips. ALFA 5 dBi Mini - ~$18 A compact 7" outdoor omni antenna with an N-Male connector (ALFA AOA-915-5ACM). Good starting point for a first outdoor installation or for sites where a larger antenna would cause wind loading concerns. The 5 dBi gain provides a noticeable improvement over portable whips while keeping the beam angle wide enough to cover nearby nodes at varying elevations. Price ~$18 as of 2026-06-08 (Rokland); prices are volatile, so verify before ordering. Gain: 5 dBi Height: 7" Connector: N-Male Mounting: Mast or wall mount RAK 5.8 dBi Fiberglass - ~$30 - $40 A full-size fiberglass outdoor omni antenna from RAK Wireless. Weatherproof and includes U-bolt mounting hardware. Note there are two regional SKUs: the US/915 MHz variant (RAKARG14, ~902-928 MHz) and the EU/868 MHz variant (RAKARG13, 863-870 MHz) - choose the RAKARG14 for North American 902-928 MHz use; a single antenna is not tuned for both bands. The community's most commonly recommended base station antenna for solar repeater builds. The 5.8 dBi gain is a good balance between range and beam width for typical community mesh deployments. Price ~$30-$40 as of 2026-06-08; treat as approximate and confirm at the RAK/Rokland store. Gain: 5.8 dBi Weatherproof: Yes Mounting: U-bolt included Connector: N-Male (antenna terminates in an N-male; use an N-female cable to connect it) 8 dBi Low Profile Outdoor - ~$38 A 25" outdoor fiberglass antenna with 8 dBi gain and an N-Female connector. Specifications and price (~$38 as of 2026-06-08) are approximate - identify the exact SKU and confirm its datasheet before buying. Appropriate for flat terrain where the mesh coverage area is entirely at a similar elevation to the antenna. Avoid in hilly terrain or when nearby nodes are at significantly different elevations - the narrow beam creates dead zones above and below the antenna. Gain: 8 dBi Height: 25" Connector: N-Female FCC note: Antennas above 6 dBi (like this 8 dBi model) require a dB-for-dB conducted power reduction under FCC 15.247(b)(4) if your node runs near the 1 W (30 dBm) limit. At typical LoRa power (≤20 dBm) you remain well within limits, but verify if you raise TX power. There is no point-to-point gain allowance at 902-928 MHz. Antenna Selection for Different Scenarios Scenario Recommended Antenna Why First outdoor fixed node ALFA 5 dBi Mini Affordable, forgiving beam pattern Solar repeater in mixed terrain RAK 5.8 dBi Fiberglass Good gain, wide enough beam, weatherproof High-site node, flat terrain 8 dBi Low Profile Maximum horizontal range High-site node, hilly terrain RAK 5.8 dBi Fiberglass Beam pattern covers elevation variation Point-to-point backbone link ~12 dBi 900 MHz Yagi Directional, maximum link budget Mounting Tips Safety first: Mounting outdoor antennas at height involves fall and power-line electrocution hazards - keep the mast's full fall-radius clear of overhead power lines and use fall protection when working at height. All permanent outdoor antennas must be grounded and surge-protected; see Grounding and Lightning Protection. Always mount antennas with the element vertical for standard LoRa mesh use. A horizontal-to-vertical polarization mismatch causes a large loss (commonly cited at roughly 20 dB for well-matched antennas, though real-world multipath often reduces the penalty). Keep the antenna away from metal surfaces. Metal nearby detunes the antenna and creates reflection patterns. As a tiered rule of thumb at 915 MHz (wavelength ≈ 33 cm): keep at least a quarter-wavelength (~8 cm) clearance as a minimum, a half-wavelength (~16 cm) preferred, and a full wavelength (~33 cm) for a conservative install. Higher is almost always better. Even 2 - 3 meters of extra height can make a significant difference in real-world conditions. Weatherproof outdoor N-connector connections with self-amalgamating tape. Directional Antennas Directional Antennas Directional antennas concentrate RF energy in a specific direction rather than radiating omnidirectionally. They are used for point-to-point backbone links between fixed sites where maximum range is needed in a known direction. ALFA 12 dBi Yagi - $50+ A Yagi-Uda directional antenna with 12 dBi gain at 915 MHz. A 12 dBi Yagi has a half-power beamwidth of approximately 35° (i.e. ±17° to the half-power points) and must be aimed precisely at the target node. Used for connecting distant nodes or bridging a gap in mesh coverage across a valley or open terrain. (Pricing as of June 2026; street price varies — confirm against a current retailer listing.) Gain: 12 dBi Pattern: Directional (Yagi) Use case: Point-to-point links, extending mesh over long distances in one direction When to Use a Directional Antenna You need to extend the mesh over a specific long-distance path (e.g., across a lake or through a valley cut) You have two sites that need reliable high-margin connectivity but no intermediate repeaters You want to add gain without affecting nearby nodes in other directions When NOT to Use a Directional Antenna For a general community repeater that should cover all directions - a Yagi will be deaf and blind to nodes not in its beam When nodes are located in multiple directions from the installation point On handheld portable devices - you would have to point the device at the target node at all times Aiming a Yagi A 12 dBi Yagi has a half-power beamwidth of roughly 35° (see the antenna spec above), so aiming must be reasonably accurate: Use a compass bearing to the target node. Tilt slightly toward the target if it is at a higher or lower elevation. Use the MeshCore or Meshtastic RSSI/SNR values from the target node to fine-tune aim while rotating the antenna. Lock the mount when signal is maximised. Mark the final orientation so you can verify it has not shifted after a windstorm. Link Budget for a Directional Link ⚠ FCC compliance: At 902–928 MHz the conducted output power limit is 1 W (30 dBm) referenced to a 6 dBi antenna. With a 12 dBi antenna (6 dBi above the threshold), 47 CFR § 15.247(b)(4) requires conducted power to be reduced dB-for-dB — down to 24 dBm — capping EIRP at 36 dBm. There is no relaxed point-to-point antenna allowance at 915 MHz (that exception, § 15.247(c)(1), applies only to 2.4 GHz / 5.8 GHz). Running a radio's full output into a 12 dBi Yagi for a 48.5 dBm EIRP link would be roughly 12 dB over the legal limit and is illegal under Part 15. The link budget below uses the compliant 24 dBm / 36 dBm EIRP figures. (The Station G2's higher rated output is intended for other regulatory regimes — e.g. amateur-licensed operation under Part 97 — not US Part 15 unlicensed use.) Example: Two Station G2 nodes (−130 dBm sensitivity) with 12 dBi Yagi antennas, 20 km apart, run at the Part 15 limit: TX power: 24 dBm (reduced to stay legal with a 12 dBi antenna) TX antenna gain: +12 dBi EIRP: 36 dBm (the maximum legal EIRP at 902–928 MHz) Free space path loss at 20 km, 915 MHz: ~117 dB RX antenna gain: +12 dBi (less RX feedline loss — budget ~1–2 dB for real cable) Received power: 36 − 117 + 12 = −69 dBm (before RX feedline loss) RX sensitivity: −130 dBm Link margin: ~61 dB - more than adequate (free-space figure) In practice, real-world obstructions and multipath reduce this margin, and the free-space figure above assumes a clear line of sight that a 20 km link does not get for free. Over 20 km the earth's curvature alone introduces roughly 23 m of path obstruction (≈ d²/17 in metres/km), and the first Fresnel zone radius at midpoint is on the order of 40 m — so a real 20 km link needs substantial combined antenna height (tens of metres) to keep the path clear. Subtract RX feedline loss as well. Treat the large margin as a theoretical ceiling, not a field-achievable number without proper line-of-sight engineering. 20 dB of link margin is considered comfortable in practice.