Review: LoRa 915 Mhz antenna for Meshtastic nodes (2 pcs) $10

Amazon Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/4fOtLiK Price as reviewed: $10 (for two) 2 Pack 915MHz LoRa Antenna Indoor 3dBi Gain for Meshtastic LoRa Long Range Antenna, 10cm Omni SMA Male Black From the XWWXGG Store Slightly better than a "stubby" or chip antenna, include bulkhead connector I measured the dB gain for this antenna in a vertical orientation using a (50 feet away) local node, and got between 7.25 and 6.5 dB. This compares to a "stubby" antenna at 6.25 to 6.0 dB, and to a "chip" dipole antenna at 6.0 to 6.75 dB (Horizontal) and 6.25 dB (Vertical). So this antenna is up to 1.25 dB better than the "stock" or default stubby and chip antennas you may get with a meshtastic node for free. [Note, all tests were performed with the antenna at the 180 orientation (i.e. not bent) as the instructions say that the SWR goes up if you bend it to the 90 degree orientation.] I suspect if you had a half wave "whip" antenna it would give better performance, but these guys are quite inexpensive, only 8cm in length (10cm if including the bottom bendy part) and give you a little boost over the default antennas. I think the big gain here is if you have a chip antenna but want an externally mounted antenna, as they include the SMA Female bulkhead connector with IPEX1 (U.FL) connector that would allow you to drill a hole in an enclosure and mount the antenna on the outside.