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How to Select an Antenna

Wideband (700-2700 MHz) How to Select an Antenna: Coverage, Antenna Size and Model Selection

AW-PA2425-V18B65 2.4-2.5 GHz 18 dBi directional panel antenna
AW-PA2425-V18B65 — 2.4-2.5 GHz, directional panel antenna

The Wideband (700-2700 MHz) segment spans 700 to 2700 MHz and is used for multiband / all-cellular. Wavelength at the center of this band is roughly 176 mm, which sets the physical size of every resonant element and, with it, the gain a given form factor can reach.

Why the band sets the antenna size

A half-wave dipole at the center of the Wideband (700-2700 MHz) band is about 88 mm long, and a quarter-wave element about half that. Every practical antenna in this band is a variation on that dimension: a collinear omni stacks several half-wave sections to trade elevation beamwidth for gain, a panel places elements over a reflector, and a Yagi adds parasitic directors ahead of the driven element. There is no way to get more gain out of the same aperture, so a higher gain figure on this band always means a physically larger part.

Above 1 GHz propagation becomes noticeably more line-of-sight dependent. Coverage holds well outdoors with clear sight lines, but each interior wall costs several dB and foliage in the path is a seasonal variable rather than a fixed loss.

Band summary

Frequency range700–2700 MHz
Center wavelength176 mm
Half-wave element88 mm
Typical serviceMultiband / all-cellular
Catalog models185

Gain options on Wideband (700-2700 MHz)

GainShortest model at that gainLengthElevation beamwidth
2 dBiAW-SPR2400-212 mm75°
3 dBiAW-CP-GPS-181818 mm95°
4 dBiAW-CP-GPS-252525 mm90°
5 dBiAW-ID0827-5185 mm30°
6 dBiAW-TV-IN-6320 mm70°
7 dBiAW-SCW2400-7280 mm25°
8 dBiAW-GUN2400-8260 mm22°
9 dBiAW-WM0912-9210 mm40°
10 dBiAW-LP1727-10380 mm48°
11 dBiAW-ID0827-11295 mm55°
12 dBiAW-PA1722-V12B65330 mm30°
13 dBiAW-LP4386-131450 mm40°
14 dBiAW-WM1922-14225 mm30°
15 dBiAW-PA2425-V15B65500 mm15°
16 dBiAW-YG1922-16610 mm30°
17 dBiAW-TV-UHF-171250 mm28°
18 dBiAW-WM2400-18305 mm23°
28 dBiAW-CP-BD-253525 mm90°
35 dBiAW-GP1227-35152 mm90°

How to Select an Antenna models in this band

How to Select an Antenna models in this band
ModelBand (MHz)GainPolarizationLengthConnector
AW-PA2425-V18B652400–250018 dBiVertical1000 mmN-Female
AW-PA7090-V18B65698–96018 dBiVertical2570 mmN-Female
AW-PA8090-V18B65806–96018 dBiVertical2430 mmN-Female
AW-YG0890-18824–96018 dBiVertical1290 mmN-Female
AW-YG2400-182400–248318 dBiVertical580 mmN-Female
AW-YG1922-161720–217016 dBiVertical610 mmN-Female
AW-FG2400-152400–248315 dBiVertical1550 mmN-Female
AW-PA2425-V15B652400–250015 dBiVertical500 mmN-Female
AW-PA7090-V15B65698–96015 dBiVertical1360 mmN-Female
AW-PA8090-V15B65806–96015 dBiVertical1300 mmN-Female
AW-FG0890-12824–89012 dBiVertical1550 mmN-Female
AW-PA7090-V12B65698–96012 dBiVertical720 mmN-Female

Matching the band to the link

Free-space loss at the center of this band is about 97 dB over one kilometer. Add the loss of the feedline, subtract the gain at both ends, and compare the result against the receiver sensitivity for the modulation you intend to run. If the margin is under roughly 10 dB the link will work on a clear day and drop in rain or foliage, which is usually the point at which a higher-gain aperture or a shorter cell radius becomes the cheaper fix.