Right now the max br1 mini with Cat 6 LTE advanced modem is only getting 2 bars signal around -90dB. My download speed is around 4Mbps so I’d like to upgrade from the the stock antennas.
I’m in a rural area in Texas ~4 miles from the tower with lots of trees in between. I’m in a home not rv so I was thinking directional but then I read you need line of sight and there’s tons of trees in between so does that mean I need omnidirectional? also just using 1 sim card
Also, do I use mimo like the XPOL-2 or two seperate yagis for the scenario?
Just looking for some input on the ideal setup here thanks!
Good Evening
It sounds like directional antennas would be best for you.
Thing about a directional antenna as focusing on a cone shaped area in a particular direction where as an omnidirectional is looking all around.
The directional is going to give you a longer range and better reception as long as you have it pointed correctly. It’s very important to have it pointing at the tower you are connecting to. Remember that cellular towers are been built and decommissioned so you do need to check every now and again to make sure you are connected to the correct tower. An instance where an omni would be better is if you where close to multiple towers, this way your router would connect to the best tower and if one tower goes offline, you would connect to another tower without having to move your antenna.
They Poynting antennas are great with Pepwave routers
Cool I was pretty sure directional was for me but everyone kept saying you need a perfect line of site like over the water or something so I wasn’t sure with the trees.
My only other question is whether or not I’m supposed to use a directional mimo antenna or two seperate directional antennas? and which one?
The only thing I’ve found from looking on here is the XPOL-2. thanks!
The XPOL-2 is a good option and you would only require one.
It is a 2in1 antenna i.e. main and aux both in one antenna housing.
To quote Poyntings website “Two cross polarised antennas in one enclosure for optimal LTE performance.”
Hey thanks for those. Would you mind explaining why two lpda-92s are better than one Xpol-2 for the pepwave mini cat 6? For some reason I thought mimo was best for this type of thing
Also, are both options fine for going through lots of trees? It’s a very wooded area between me and the tower.
Xpol-2 has 2 antenna elements build inside that is why you only need 1 and it is called a MIMO antenna.
The lpda’s have a tighter field of vieuw when v shaped with brkt-33 . Hence more DB and less chance to catch static. But due to this tighter field of vieuw Its harder to aim them correctly
Tree’s could pose a problem if they are to close to the antenna. If you have the possibility try to see if you can get over the Tree’s to get a pov on the cel tower. If this isnt possible make sure the antenna is arround 30-50m cleared from the trees
Directional MIMO like the Poynting XPOL-2 will probably help considerably. It’s performance is comparable to a pair of Wilson Yagis. Line of sight for cellular isn’t exact like microwave LOS. Close is good enough. The trees - I don’t know. Omni will help if there are multiple towers or you really aren’t sure of the signal source. I stock AG12s which are a 12 dBi omni that I’ve used very successfully in situations like yours.
In the US, those brkt-33 mounts are out of stock since the only option I can find is FrontierUS. How does that 45 degree setup compare to using a vertical and horizontal on top one another?
Considering the distance of about 4 miles, trees, and current signal -90dB with the stock pepwave antennas. Do one of these options stand out as much better to you or should I just go with the cheaper option in the Xpol-2? Thanks for all your help.
