What type of antenna should I use to improve reception for a C3 unit? – Help Desk

Question

The signal strength on site is weak, so I need to improve reception, what antenna should I use?

Answer

For C3s, you can upgrade the antenna to a higher gain one, for example, whip antenna, to improve reception. An external antenna cannot be added for Solos.

Overview

C3 units are available with various combinations of radio, each of which requires an external antenna. All connector/cable impedances are 50 ohm. The antennas should be installed according to the guidelines for best performance.

In terms of recommended brands or models, Observant don't officially have a favoured type but we have in the past seen success with the models listed in the following sections:

Cellular
900MHz
UHF

Cellular

Type	Product Number	Specs	Contact
Stub/Dome Antenna (for standard installations)	#01437	698 - 960MHz, 2.0dBi 1710 - 2170MHz, 3.5dBi 2300 - 2700MHz, 5.0dBi 95mm height Box mount, 16mm stud Terminated SMA male connector	1300 224 688
Whip Antenna (for sites with weak reception)	#10627	698-960MHz, 5.0dBi 1710-2170 MHz, 4.5dBi 2300-2700MHz, 5.5dBi 571 mm length 13mm diameter mounting hole required Terminated SMA male connector	1300 224 688

Cellular antennas - SMA male connection:

900MHz

Type	Product Number	Specs	Contact
Whip Antenna (for standard installations)	#10239	890-960MHz 5.1dBi 400mm height Bracket/box mount with min 10mm diameter hole Terminated SMA male connector	1300 224 688

900 antennas - SMA male connection:

UHF

Type	Product Number	Specs	Contact
Whip Antenna (for standard installations)	#10636	470 - 490MHz, 6.5dB 810mm height Box mount 13mm or 16mm hole Supplied with 350mm of RG58 cable permanently attached Terminated BNC male connector	1300 224 688
High Gain Antenna (for sites with weak reception)	ZN2-77-06-AC	477MHz, 8.1dBi 2.5m height Pole mount Type N connector on base Supplied with your choice of 6m, 8m or 12m of RG213 cable Terminated BNC male connector	+61 3 5157 1203

UHF antennas - BNC male connection:

Relevant Articles

Refer to the Price List for further details. Also see the following articles for further reading: