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The bigger the better? Good idea to use a big Helium antenna with a tiny node? (lemmy.world)

submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Just out of curiosity and inspired by a previous post here, i ordered two XIAO ESP32S3 - Wio-SX1262 Kits and a SenseCAP Card Tracker T1000-E.

I dont expect much if any nodes in the area around so the plan is to put one ESP+SX1262 up as a Router to the Internet (if this is the correct wording). The other one can be a sensor later on but first i want to test out the GPS tracking around the area (countryside).

As the SX1262 only comes with a small antenna, i thought about getting a used big (like 6dbi) Helium antenna for cheap to increase the range of the Router.

Whould this be an acceptable setup to start with, or just stupid? (especially the antenna and Router Part?)

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I would be careful about using high gain antennas over 3dbi because while the signal can transmit physically farther, it also is a narrower window of signal and can be blocked by elevation changes. As an example, somebody with a 3DBI antenna would be able to talk to somebody on an airplane, but somebody with a 10DBI antenna would not.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

I'll second this. My 6 dBi antenna was able to hit a plane, but only because it was also 50 miles away. The cone on a 10 dBi would be too narrow even for that.