If you want to focus all of the signal to direct it to a distant target, then the high gain antenna is definitely the best choice. The +(number)dBi is said to have double the (number) gain and the -(number)dBi is creating loss, not gain following the same pattern. Omni-directionality is said to have no directivity (preference for any direction), as opposed to having the signal concentration in a particular direction, and the amount of signal in a preferred direction is quantified as gain. You would say this no-gain situation is 0 dBi. The fact that we can't immediately see the RF waves sometimes confuses people, but don't worry, once you know what gain really is, you can determine if more (or less) is better for any particular application.Īn antenna that radiates energy equally in all directions and has no preference for radiation in any direction is said to have 'no gain'. The truth is, the answer to whether you need a higher or a lower gain antenna lies in your application. This is true in some cases, but in certain applications too much gain can be a bad thing. Some people think that a higher gain antenna will give them the strongest signal and highest quality connection. As new RF signal is not generated, the stronger signal is achieved at the expense of most other directions. The base for dBi measurement is an isotropic radiator (idealistic model that has the same value when measured in different directions) at radio frequencies. The increase in signal using an antenna is called gain and is measured in dBi. So basically, antennas only divert, direct, or concentrate radio energy in some direction, they don’t create it. With any antenna, the apparent increase in signal is not an amplification of signal, but it is the act of redistribution of available Radio Frequency (RF) signal into a preferred direction. Thinking about antennas? You need to be thinking about gain! Find out more about antenna gain and the optimum antenna positioning for the best signals and connections.

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