Direct mount antenna bad idea?

BombayBill
Sun, 01 Feb 2026 15:06:15 +0000

Thank you for your expert opinion. I used Gemini for their AI analysis. I found it to be very good at looking at several hundred data points and putting into a chart the degradation of the signal when when moving to the McGill “tuned” antenna. This was backed up by the increasing frequency of missing packets as I watched in the real world what happened. So I like AI for arranging data, not so much for explaining why.

Which leaves me mystified why, with everything else being equal, the McGill performs less well than the RAK. Maybe it’s because the RAK gateway and antenna was bought as a system with an antenna matched to the gateway by a single manufacturer and as opposed to a system pieced together from disparate parts.

PS I am going to add something that I didn’t want to mention in the original post as I didn’t want to add factors that I didn’t think relevant. I am using Milesight EM400 MUD sensors to monitor waste bins in a proof of concept for our town resource management department. Our 1m x 1.5m x 1.5m bins are giant above ground fully enclosed metal containers (we have a bear foraging issue). So a Faraday cage. My gateway is about 15m above the ground and the bins are as much as 1.36k away in a treed, low density environment. The sensors report hourly. They have ADR turned off and are set to SF 10. They are fastened to the underside of the lid on a plate. The plate is attached to the lid with 6 strong rare earth magnets that are at least 10cm away from the sensor. I get transmissions 90% of the time which I think is an astounding success given the robustness of the metal containers. It’s good enough for a workable system.

I didn’t want to mention this as I thought people would focus on a solution of adding gateways etc. instead of focusing on my original question. I thought spending a few more dollars on a so-called tuned antenna might get me to 95% success.

For your amusement see the video at the bottom of the web link here. The bin pictured is a small version of what we use. https://www.haulall.com/trashcans