Topic: external antenna for GW3000

[Gyvate]

Ecowitt is actually testing these days two types of antennas to be exchanged with the default antenna if needed and soon available as accessories:
a Yagi Directional Antenna
with strong directional gain, focusing the signal in one direction to enhance gain and interference resistance. Offers a line-of-sight range of up to ~400 meters in open environments. Ideal for setups where transmitters are positioned on one side of the receiver.
an omnidirectional antenna
provides 360° signal coverage with a reliable range of up to ~300 meters in open environments, suitable for scenarios where transmitters are distributed around the receiver or for short-range use.

[Paulcheffus]

an omnidirectional antenna
provides 360° signal coverage with a reliable range of up to ~300 meters in open environments, suitable for scenarios where transmitters are distributed around the receiver or for short-range use.

Hi

Do you know how this compares with the current antenna? I have a temp / humidity sensor in our summerhouse and it seems to work ok most of the time but occasionally it will drop off and I’m sure it’s the distance / number of walls the signal has to travel.

Cheers

Paul

[Gyvate]

the current antenna is omnidirectional and has a range of ~100 m in open field conditions.

[KC5JIM]

I'm interested in the Yagi, depending on how it's constructed and the price.

[Gyvate]

I'm interested in the Yagi, depending on how it's constructed and the price.

A Yagi-Uda antenna, commonly known as the Yagi, was invented in 1926 by Dr. H. Yagi
and Shintaro Uda. Its configuration normally consists of a number of directors and reflectors
that enhance radiation in one direction when properly arranged on a supporting structure.

They have +/- a similar design - the gain usually increases with the number of passive (parasitic) elements.

see also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yagi%E2%80%93Uda_antenna

[rrajarajan]

I have a GW3000 on order and was reading the pdf manual wondering if the antenna was for WiFi or for getting the RF data from the sensors as there was no mention of it in the manual

[OldAlaskaGuy]

Someone on this forum confirmed that the antenna on the GW3000 is for getting RF data from the sensors. The frequency is determined by your geographical location. See reply #1 from Gyvate on this thread about possible availability of antennas from Ecowitt.

[OldAlaskaGuy]

Ecowitt is actually testing these days two types of antennas to be exchanged with the default antenna if needed and soon available as accessories:
a Yagi Directional Antenna
with strong directional gain, focusing the signal in one direction to enhance gain and interference resistance. Offers a line-of-sight range of up to ~400 meters in open environments. Ideal for setups where transmitters are positioned on one side of the receiver.
an omnidirectional antenna
provides 360° signal coverage with a reliable range of up to ~300 meters in open environments, suitable for scenarios where transmitters are distributed around the receiver or for short-range use.

One possible issue I can see is if you have several other sensors e.g. T&H, leaf wetness, soil wetness, leak detector, in other directions. Their signals would possibly be attenuated by a Yagi pointed in a different direction. It could possibly done with a signal splitter/coupler but impedance matching and phasing would need to be considered. This way you would have the advantages of a directional and an omni directional antenna.A quick look on the internet shows that a signal splitter can be used as a "combiner". There are several types, some exotic but the ones with the lowest loss at frequency should work the best. Some of these splitters cover a broad band width while others have narrower frequency bands. You will need to take a close look at the specifications for each.

[KC5JIM]

I'm interested in the Yagi, depending on how it's constructed and the price.

A Yagi-Uda antenna, commonly known as the Yagi, was invented in 1926 by Dr. H. Yagi
and Shintaro Uda. Its configuration normally consists of a number of directors and reflectors
that enhance radiation in one direction when properly arranged on a supporting structure.

They have +/- a similar design - the gain usually increases with the number of passive (parasitic) elements.

see also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yagi%E2%80%93Uda_antenna

Thank you for that. However, I'm an RF Engineer; I know what a Yagi antenna is. I was referring to the robustness and construction materials.

[Gyvate]

first test results available
tested sensors: WH51 (classic) and WS90
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPSlaD6H4YM
WS90 with the Yagi used in the video ~ 700 m (2,200 ft)