Equipping your cellphone booster with the ideal antenna for your needs and circumstances will provide you with the best possible signal. Before making a purchase, begin learning about the different types of antennas to use with cellular signal boosters as there are various outdoor and indoor antennas to choose from. Each type of antenna offers various advantages and disadvantages and is most ideal in a different location.
The Types of Outside Antennas
Just like there are various types of cellular signal boosters, there are different outdoor antennas to improve cell reception with these boosters; you can attach these antennas to the roof of your home, office, or apartment. The outside antenna pulls in the strongest signal from surrounding cell towers; the indoor antenna receives this signal from the booster and then rebroadcasts it.
Moreover, there are two main types of outdoor antennas: directional and omni-directional. While both outdoor antennas work to better your current cellular signal, they do so in different ways. Before selecting an antenna, take note of your needs, use, and location, as all of these factor into which antenna would work best.
Directional Antennas
A directional antenna, also known as a Yagi antenna, is powerful but only has a window of reception of about 50 to 70 degrees as it focuses on one point. Their design allows them to capture a signal from a single, specific tower but can grab the signal from various towers.
What Are the Advantages?
Users can easily install Yagi antennas; additionally, they have various advantages since they focus on a signal and cancel out any other noise that may intercept its path.
Furthermore, these antennas:
Can reach far distances
Have a focused window of reception
Those in a stationary space with a visible path to the nearest cellphone tower often prefer Yagi antennas as they can stretch up to 20 miles.
What Are the Disadvantages?
There are some disadvantages to the Yagi antenna. For example, it only boosts your signal by about 20 dB, and its size directly affects its strength. Due to this, the frequency range remains limited. Other disadvantages of this antenna include:
Sensitivity to frequency
Easily affected by atmospheric conditions
Keep in mind that these advantages and disadvantages may affect you differently depending on your location and circumstances.
Omni-Directional Antennas
Omni-directional antennas install with ease and utilize reception patterns to boost your signal; due to this feature, they’re able to target several towers at a time. Moreover, they can transform a weak cellphone signal into a strong one as they move 360-degrees to search for the nearest signal.
What Are the Advantages?
Omni-directional antennas come with various advantages; for starters, they’re easy to mount as long as you know what location on your property has the strongest signal. Furthermore, these outdoor cellular antennas:
Amplify any cell signal
Target multiple carriers
If building material is causing your poor reception—concrete and metal buildings often do this— an omni-directional antenna will likely resolve your problem. Additionally, they can pick up a signal from multiple cellular service providers at one time, unlike a directional antenna.
What Are the Disadvantages?
While omni-directional antennas are great for some due to their design, they fall flat for others for the same reason. For example, these antennas cannot reach as far as the Yagi antenna, so they’re not ideal for individuals living in rural areas. Other disadvantages of the omni-directional antenna include:
Easily overwhelmed in busy areas due to many signals
Weaker than directional antennas
While installation is easy and can boost your signal from multiple service providers, it doesn’t reach very far. However, there may be too many surrounding signals in densely populated areas, so remain mindful of your location before selecting this antenna.
Types of Indoor Antennas
While you need an outdoor antenna, you also need an indoor cell booster antenna to properly boost your signal, and some large buildings require several indoor antennas for an optimal signal. Each comes with varying advantages and disadvantages; the main indoor antenna types include panel antennas and dome antennas
As you begin selecting the ideal indoor antenna for your space, remain mindful of:
The area you want to boost
Indoor factors impacting signal
Indoor factors that affect cellular signal include building material and wall thickness; however, this also consists of the shape of the room or area you want to cover as each indoor antenna works differently.
Dome Antennas
Dome antennas work best when trying to improve cellular signal on a single floor, making them great for a small office space or apartment. Typically, during the installation process, users mount indoor dome antennas to the ceiling. It can broadcast a signal 360-degrees horizontally; mounting it to the ceiling is important as it allows this signal to evenly spread out.
The advantages of dome antennas include:
They’re omni-directional
They best serve an open space
The disadvantages of dome antennas include:
You need access behind it
They’re usually larger
While these antennas evenly spread a single out, installing them is challenging as you need space around it, so experts recommend mounting it in a location with removable ceiling tiles or in a crawl space or attic. For this reason, most utilize them in commercial spaces such as office buildings.
Panel Antennas
Unlike dome antennas, panel antennas work best in long, narrow spaces and multi-floor buildings—they’re also directional and typically pull a higher signal than dome antennas.
The advantages of a panel antenna include:
You don’t need access behind it
It pulls a stronger signal
However, some disadvantages of these antennas include:
They have a narrow range
Its strength is directly related to the outside antenna
Experts at SureCall Booster recommend purchasing a panel antenna that focuses on a single location, thus lowering the risk of interference.
Types of Antennas for Vehicles
Similar to homes and buildings, antennas can also improve cell reception in cars, trucks, or RVs. However, the type of antenna you equip your car with varies, as what you’d install on an RV differs from what you’d install on a single driver car.
Many recommend omni-directional antennas for the outside of vehicles since they move 360-degrees as they search for the nearest signal. Moreover, when choosing an antenna for the inside of your vehicle, experts typically recommend whip antennas.
Whip Antennas
This type of antenna works best in small spaces, such as a single room, and directly attaches to the cell phone booster. It works by radiating the signal in all directions within its confined space.
Remember to remain mindful of their various pros and cons since some disadvantages could eliminate an option altogether. Additionally, keep your needs and where you’ll install it in mind; the indoor and outdoor antennas you purchase for your RV will likely differ from what you’d install in your home.
As you begin shopping for the ideal antenna for your cellphone booster, remain mindful of the types of antennas to use with cellular signal boosters to ensure you purchase what’s best. If you’re in need of assistance, an expert team member at SureCall Boosters would be happy to help you in purchasing the ideal antenna for your needs. Call us at 888-389-5799.
