Product & Performance Comparison: Omni Antennas vs. Sector Antennas

Author: Mike Inverso, Director of Sales at KP Performance Antennas

Customers often ask about the difference between omnidirectional (omni) and sector antennas — two types of antennas that look somewhat similar, but actually function quite differently.

Here’s a breakdown of how they work to help you determine which is best for your application:

Omni Antennas

Just as the name suggests, omni-directional antennas transmit and receive uniform signals in a 360 degree pattern. The radiation pattern of an omni resembles a donut, with reduced coverage immediately below and above the antenna, and expanded coverage as you move further away from the antenna.

Due to the fact that omni antennas can transmit and receive signals in any direction, they are commonly used by WISPS with access points. Omnis are ideal for use in rural environments, where initial subscriber counts are expected to be low. 

KP Performance currently sells dual polarity omni antennas for the following spectrums:

900 MHz – Designed to operate in the licensed and unlicensed spectrum for non-line-of-sight (NLOS), Scada, and WISP market places.

•          KP offers the 10dBi dual pol H/V Omni Antenna.

2.4 GHz - Designed to operate in the licensed and unlicensed spectrum for Wi-Fi, WiMax, and LTE applications.

•          KP offers the 13 dBi Dual Pol H/V Omni Antenna.

3 GHz -  For use in the 3300 MHz – 3800 MHz frequency range.

•          For the 3 GHz band, KP offers the 13 dBi Dual Pol H/V antenna.

5 GHz - For use in the licensed, unlicensed, and public safety bands from 4900-5900MHz. 

Products:

•          13 dBi Dual Pol H/V (Horizontal/ vertical) Omni (With radio case, and without)
•          13 dBi Dual Pol H/V Omni Antenna with PMP Mount (cables included)
•          13 dBi Dual Pol H/V Omni Antenna with Radio Case (cables included)

Sector Antennas

Sector antennas, meanwhile, are classified as “directional” microwave antennas. Unlike omnis, sector antennas will only transmit and receive concentrated signals in one direction.

WISPs commonly use sector antennas for point-to-multipoint base station applications. They are much better suited for dense environments where subscriber counts are higher.

KP offers sector antennas in the following bands:

900 MHz - Commonly used by WISPs for NLOS deployments.

Products:

•          12.5 dBi Dual Pol ±45 Degrees Slant 90 Degree Sector Antenna with PMP Mounting Bracket
•          11.5 dBi Single Pol Horizontal 120 Degree Sector Antenna (cables included)

2.4 GHz - For use in the licensed and unlicensed and spectrums with the IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi, LTE and WiMax standards.

Products:

•          5 GHz 17.7 dBi Dual Pol H/V 60 Degree Sector Antenna with Radio Case (cables included)
•          5 GHz 17 dBi (4-Port) Dual Pol H/V 65 Degree Sector Antenna 17 Inch Tall (cables included)
•          5 GHz 65 Degree 8-Port Sector Antenna Optimized for Mimosa A5c (frequency 4.9 GHz - 6.4 GHz)
•          5 GHz H/V + 5 GHz H/V Combo 65 Degree Sector Antenna Side Angle Alignment (two sectors in one shell that covers 120 deg.)
•          2 GHz ±45 Degrees + 5 GHz H/V Dual Radio 90 Degree Sector Antenna Side by Side Alignment (two sectors in one shell)
•          2 GHz H/V + 5 GHz H/V Dual Radio 90 Degree Sector Antenna Side by Side Alignment (two sectors in one shell)
•          3 GHz ±45 Degrees + 5 GHz H/V Dual Radio 90 Degree Sector Antenna Side by Side Alignment (two sectors in one shell)
•          5 GHz 16.3 dBi Dual Pol 90 Degree Sector Antenna with PMP Mounting Bracket
•          5 GHz 17 dBi Dual Pol H/V 90 Degree Sector Antenna (cables included)

KP Performance offers same-day shipping for all of these products.

For more information about KP’s omni antennas, click here.

For more information about KP’s sector antennas, click here.