2.4 GHz Antennas

Ubiquiti 2.4 GHz airMAX Antennas: The Basis for Point-to-MultiPoint (PtMP) Networks

Ubiquiti airMAX 2.4 GHz antennas are essential components for Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISP) and network architects building wireless base stations to serve multiple clients (Point-to-MultiPoint, PtMP).

In the 2.4 GHz frequency band, Ubiquiti offers two main types of antennas, each following different coverage strategies: the airMAX Omni (AMO-2G) for all-around coverage and the airMAX Sector (AM-2G) for focused, scalable coverage.

Both antenna types are designed to integrate seamlessly with Ubiquiti airMAX Rocket M2 radio modules and utilize the powerful airMAX TDMA protocol.

airMAX Omni Antennas (AMO-2G): The 360-Degree Solution

The airMAX Omni antenna is an omnidirectional antenna and the simplest solution for a PtMP base station.

• Coverage: It provides full 360-degree coverage in the horizontal azimuth. This is ideal for the initial setup of a base station on a tower to ensure wide-area coverage in all directions.
• Models: Common models include the AMO-2G10 (10 dBi) and AMO-2G13 (13 dBi).
• Disadvantage: The gain is comparatively low, which limits the maximum range of the connection to customers (CPEs). Furthermore, the omni antenna receives interference from all directions, which can limit total capacity in radio-dense environments.
  
  

airMAX Sector Antennas (AM-2G): Scalable High Performance

The airMAX Sector antenna is a directional antenna that focuses the radio signal within a defined area.

• Coverage: It provides focused coverage with horizontal beamwidths typically of 60°, 90°, or 120°.
• Advantages:
  • Higher Gain: By bundling energy into a smaller sector, a significantly higher antenna gain is achieved (typically 15-16 dBi), improving range and signal quality.
  • Scalability: By placing three or four sector antennas on a tower (e.g., 3x 120° or 4x 90°), full 360° coverage can be achieved. The greatest advantage here is significantly better interference isolation, allowing the same or adjacent frequency channels to be reused on a tower (Channel Reuse), massively increasing the total capacity of the base station.
• Disadvantage: Higher acquisition and installation costs, as multiple antennas and Rocket radio modules are required.
  
  

Comparison: Omni vs. Sector