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Antenna for Three 5G Hub?

Outside wall away from windows that's where I am going to put pole with 4x4 antennas 📡
Screenshot_20230404_163715_Speedtest.webp
 
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Apologies, the last thing I wanted to do was hijack someone else's thread. It just seemed like a suitable place to ask the question given knowledgeable people were contributing.

EssexBoy, you mention cable distance being a killer when using an antenna, what sort of distances are we talking about? Part of the reason for considering an antenna, apart from the possibility of improving the signal/speeds is to move the router to a more suitable location as the current setup to give the router line of sight from the windowsill is, for want of a better word, shambolic. I already have holes in the wall elsewhere in the room for a TV aerial that I could route extra cable through, but it would then have a fair few meters to travel to where I want to place the antenna.
Cable loss increases with frequency so is worst on the n78 band (3.5GHz) usually used for fast 5G. Depending which cable type is used you might see between 0.5dB/m and 1dB/m loss at 3.5GHz, which can wipe out the advantage of an external antenna if the cables are too long.
 
I am going to order these two to put outside wall on the pole for both 4G & 5G.

4 x SMA Female to TS9 Male 50cm RG316 Coaxial Cable: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09MLLB1FP
For 4G support: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08WYCRTPM
For 5G support: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08WZ2L719

Should work ok for my NR5103E 5G router.

Will post back as soon I done the job completed.

Very interested to hear about your results. I believe all four ports require full band due to UK being NSA (nonstand alone), i.e. 4G and 5G, so the Bluespot 5G mini may not work, but I'm no expert.

I am procrastinating and have short listed my ext antennas to the following:

Iskra P-60 OR Poynting XPOL-24 4x4 MIMO (expensive).

8 and 11db respective gain on the N78 band.
 
Very interested to hear about your results. I believe all four ports require full band due to UK being NSA (nonstand alone), i.e. 4G and 5G, so the Bluespot 5G mini may not work, but I'm no expert.

I am procrastinating and have short listed my ext antennas to the following:

Iskra P-60 OR Poynting XPOL-24 4x4 MIMO (expensive).

8 and 11db respective gain on the N78 band.
Note that according to the technical data sheet the Poynting doesn't cover the band around 1500MHz (n32?) used in the UK for supplementary downlink by some carriers.
 
Note that according to the technical data sheet the Poynting doesn't cover the band around 1500MHz (n32?) used in the UK for supplementary downlink by some carriers.
mm good spot, although with my EE, Vodafone and Three sim trials they didn't seem to use n32, but then that doesn't mean they won't be in the future I guess. Thanks

JFYI, the Bluespot antennas and rest of the Poynting Antennas don't seem to support 1500MHz n32 band either though...
 
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mm good spot, although with my EE, Vodafone and Three sim trials they didn't seem to use n32, but then that doesn't mean they won't be in the future I guess. Thanks

JFYI, the Bluespot antennas and rest of the Poynting Antennas don't seem to support 1500MHz n32 band either though...
Does n32 exist as a standardized 5G NR RF band? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5G_NR_frequency_bands

The Poynting XPOL-1-5G seems ok around 1500 MHz.
1680708010467.png


XPOL-24 for completeness.
1680709227160.webp
 
Does n32 exist as a standardized 5G NR RF band? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5G_NR_frequency_bands

The Poynting XPOL-1-5G seems ok around 1500 MHz.
I didn't check all, but LPDA-92 and some of the XPOLs had a dip in gain at around 1500. It looks like some 4G bands at 1400 and 1800MHz also.

Useful:
 
Very interested to hear about your results. I believe all four ports require full band due to UK being NSA (nonstand alone), i.e. 4G and 5G, so the Bluespot 5G mini may not work, but I'm no expert.

I am procrastinating and have short listed my ext antennas to the following:

Iskra P-60 OR Poynting XPOL-24 4x4 MIMO (expensive).

8 and 11db respective gain on the N78 band.

No reviews are disappointed! I am thinking of this one as well.

Maybe these look good https://www.amazon.co.uk/Directional-696-2700-3300-3800-Compatible-Connector/dp/B09CWCDMDK

(review say strong windy day can break this!) :mad:
 

No reviews are disappointed! I am thinking of this one as well.

Maybe these look good https://www.amazon.co.uk/Directional-696-2700-3300-3800-Compatible-Connector/dp/B09CWCDMDK

(review say strong windy day can break this!) :mad:

Regarding the P-60 Iskra, I'm guessing most don't go for it because of the issues over mounting them, especially if you're wanting 4x4 MIMO when they need to be at least 60cm apart. Found a few threads on here where it is recommended for long distance directional gain. Panel antennas appear to be more forgiving in terms of their directional coverage and don't necessarily require line of sight from what I've read.. although that would help.

Yeah saw the review of your second antenna with the broken back mount lol ..
 
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It will be interesting to see your findings bulldog. If you see decent improvement I may try something similar, although I am getting decent speeds off peak with the router just sat inside on the windowsill with the window closed (peak is generally 600-700/70-80).
Screenshot 2023-04-05 031524.webp
 
⚠️ WARNING ⚠️

STRONG OPINION INCOMING

Bluespot are crap.

As in, they're a nobody brand. They're a Chinese origin antenna that's been repackaged for the UK market. Gain figures are not too be believed. 5m LMR200 cable means 1/4 to 1/2 of gain is lost in cable (perhaps slight exaggeration) and they're way, way over priced.
 
⚠️ WARNING ⚠️

STRONG OPINION INCOMING

Bluespot are crap.

As in, they're a nobody brand. They're a Chinese origin antenna that's been repackaged for the UK market. Gain figures are not too be believed. 5m LMR200 cable means 1/4 to 1/2 of gain is lost in cable (perhaps slight exaggeration) and they're way, way over priced.
dazmatic, I see you state this in a lot of threads. I understand they are rebranded RSRF antennas, but a lot of people see to have good success with these. Not doubt there are higher gain antennas out there, but £112 seems reasonable wouldn't you say?

I do wonder if the Blake antennas are the same ones.

Some of 2x2 MIMO Poyning antennas are more expensive and have less suggested gain.

Other Bluespot threads:


Similar (non 5G) RSRF antenna:


This seems to be an option also, not sure if anyone has had any experience of these:

McGill Microwave Introduce the New, Optimised 5G/4G/3G LTE Broadband Directional Antenna
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/295592919677
 
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Ergh Blake are friggin' awful. Had 2 of theirs, went into the scrapper. Waste of money!

McGill are ok, they do design some of their antennas but the one you linked is a Chinese rebrand again.

I've got no doubt the antennas work, bend an old coat hanger to the right proportions and it'll work to some degree.

Unfortunately, your only allowed so much power from radios and relatively speaking it's microscopic. So the key thing with antennas is finessing, eeking out every single bit of performance to ensure that tiny bit of power you've got is the most efficient it can be.

The real issue is trying to make use of that power over quite a wide band as well and likewise capture it.

The Bluespot gains are a complete lie - I would suggest you deduct 3-4dB from what they're suggesting and I can say this from experience. I've had a pair of Iskra P60 LPDAs up in the same location as a Bluespot antenna, both 5m of cable (albeit Iskra uses H155 for theirs) and the Iskra antennas outperformed the Bluespot by a factor of about 10-11dBm RSRP if not more, I don't have exact figures.

You only need to look at the beam widths for the Bluespot to understand that shooting loads of power upwards, or into the ground is a waste.

I mean fine, it's got its uses. I'm quite rural so I need something highly directional, but for a more urban environment, perhaps without LOS, close to a known mast, the Bluespot would perform well because of the wide beam widths it'll pick up reflections.

But that brings me on to my next point, there's more to antennas than just gain.

Cable loss, VSWR, position, height, surroundings, cable length, connector types, insulation type, bandwidths, reflectors, terrain and so much more.

My main gripe for saying Bluespot are crap?
For being overpriced for the performance delivered. I've got one still, it's been combined together with an enclosure and USB port for a modem directly plugged into the antenna with just short flying leads.

And do you know what? It still performed worse than a pair of Iskra P58s and a 5M cable run.

Oh and thanks for the vid, I'll watch that later. Seen loads of them on AliExpress, also the McGill antenna is on there also.

And my Iskra P60s cost the same as the Bluespot, including delivery from Latvia.
 

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