Low Orbit Flux Logo 2 F

Yagi Antenna

A Yagi antenna is a directional antenna. They are used for a number of different applications but this one is is designed for use with wifi networks. It can extend range in one direction. It is good for situations where you can point it towards a given target. For example, if you connected this to your PC or laptop, you would need to make sure it is pointing towards the access point (or other computer) that you want to connect to.

Here we take a quick peek at this old yagi antenna that I pulled out of my closet:

You can still get this on Amazon HERE.

I had purchased this specific antenna for exactly the purpose described above. I wanted to be able to point it at an access point and improve my signal. You can’t just carry this around and expect it to increase your signal in general. It needs to be actually pointed at the target. It provides a fair ammount of gain. It is supposed to be at around 18dbi of gain but I don’t recall what I tested it at. It features an SMA male connector so that you can easily connect it to an existing wireless card. Basically anything that supports a normal consumer wifi antenna should be able to connect to this pretty easily.

This Yagi antenna features a plate with holes for screws / bolts so that you can easily mount it. It is really best used as a stationary antenna. It would be a little large to carry around but you could if you wanted to. It definitely won’t fit in a laptop bag.

This antenna is great for wireless testing. It also serves as an excellent way to connect to a network that you normally wouldn’t be able to reach. Yagis can be very useful in remote locations. It allows you to connect from a distance. It isn’t for everyone. You really need to do your reasearch and make sure you know what you are buying. There is a good chance that you might want to pick a completly different type of antenna. Just make sure that you find the right thing for your use case.

You might find that the right choice for you is an omnidirectional antenna. Yagis will give you more gain but omnis are a little more flexible and don’t require you to point it at the target.

Does a Yagi antenna need to be grounded?

No. From what I’ve read it does not need to be grounded. I have also never seen anyone try to ground a Yagi antenna and I don’t even know how you would achieve that. That said, it is recommended to have surge protection hardware. This recommendation is generally for antennas that are mounted on buildings ( like TV antennas ). A wifi antenna is less likely to be mounted somewhere that lightning would be an issue.

What does Yagi stand for?

Yagi is not an acronym. It is the name of one of the inventors of the antenna. Hidetsugu Yagi played a role in the invention of this type of antenna. You can read more on Wikipedia (linked below in the references section). He apparently played a lesser role but is remembered as the creator of this antenna while the other inventor (Shintaro Uda) is often forgotton. This could be due to him filing for a patent for it.

References



Small Print

Amazon affiliate disclosure statement We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.