goTenna requires an antenna to work. Out of the box goTenna comes with either a 10" VHF antenna or a 6" UHF antenna.
Also see: goTenna Pro Tutorial- Antenna Information
goTenna offers antennas that are optimized to function with either VHF or UHF frequencies
Antennas are frequency specific; VHF antennas should only be used with VHF frequencies and UHF antennas should only be used with UHF frequencies
Using improperly matched frequencies and antennas will provide an antenna warning in the application/plugin and will greatly limit the performance of the device
Bandwidth and throughput
- 11.8 kHz provides 19.2 kbps throughput and requires .025 Mhz spacing
- 7.28 kHz provides 9.6 kbps throughput and requires .0125 Mhz spacing
- 4.54 kHz provides 4.8 kbps throughput and requires .00625 Mhz spacing
When able, it is best for battery and user performance to operate on 11.8 kHz bandwidth settings
Good practices include mounting the device upright, high, and unobstructed to increase the range capabilities of the antennas.
(Image above is a goTenna Pro X and 6” Antenna)
Please Note: The UHF antenna pole that screws into the base of the goTenna is approximately 6" long and should be used with UHF frequencies.
The VHF antenna pole that screws into the base of the goTenna is approximately 10" long and should be used with VHF frequencies.
We recommend using the standard 6" UHF antenna but there are several other circumstances to use different antennas.
Any antenna that has a male SMA thread connector and is tuned to the correct frequencies can be used with goTenna Pro X devices. Here are some examples of different antennas.
Mini/Stubby antennas: These antennas offer a much more compact form factor and allow for the overall size of the radio to be decreased significantly. If size/weight is a primary concern these antennas are a great option.
Please note: Third party antennas might show degraded or reduced Performance.