Whether you own a motorhome, van or emergency vehicle, Poynting antennas can bring you the stable and reliable connection you need to stay in touch no matter the conditions or circumstances.
Buckle up, and join us on this journey of selecting the perfect antenna for those of you on the move!
Step 1: Directional or Omni-directional
If you require a stable internet connection whilst on the move, you should pick an antenna with an omni-directional radiation pattern. This means they receive and transmit signals in all directions, therefore optimising your chances of maintaining a stable, consistent connection, even when turning around corners and bends!
Step 2: Which range is best for me?
When it comes to omni-directional antennas that are suited for the transportation industry, there are two Poynting ranges that come to mind: PUCK and MIMO.
The first key difference between the two is their appearance:
The MIMO is significantly larger than the PUCK, and for this reason alone, the PUCK may be the best choice if you are looking for something as low profile as possible for your vehicle.
The PUCK is the most flexible antenna on the market - it’ll work in a large range of use cases and even comes with 6 different mounting options. Not only does it offer an elegant, small form factor, it boasts a super rugged, anti-vandalism design to withstand all weather. It’s pretty much unbreakable, making it perfect for industrial applications.
Our top picks are the PUCK-2 (2 x LTE antennas) and the PUCK-5 (2 x LTE, 2 x Dual band Wi-Fi and 1 x GPS antennas).
The MIMO, on the other hand, does offer a higher performance in more rural areas, as it performs much better at lower frequencies (especially at the 700 to 900 MHz LTE bands, common in low coverage and rural areas).
Step 3: Find the right model for your requirements
Caravans, Campervans & Motorhomes
Whether you use your vehicle as a permanent residence or holiday home, having a stable internet connection is a must to be able to find directions, work remotely or socialise with friends. For this application, you can either use the MIMO-3 or PUCK antennas.
Although the PUCK may have some higher gain peaks, the gain consistency over the whole band is better with the MIMO-3 antenna. This, paired with the fact that the MIMO also performs better in rural and other lower coverage areas, means it has a better advantage for campervans, trailers and caravans.
Depending on the model you choose, your antenna will also strengthen and stabilise the WiFi signal broadcasting across a campsite when you stop off overnight. With the MIMO-3-V2-15 and MIMO-3-V2-17 models, GPS/GLONASS is included too for satellite positioning if you lose all other means of identifying your location.
Although the MIMO-3 does offer better performance overall, it is much bigger and more expensive. The PUCK is still a great option if your setup has size limitations, or if your vehicle is mostly used in urban areas.
A TP-Link router, such as the ARCHER-MR6400 is a popular pairing for this particular use case. If you are working remotely from your vehicle, however, you may want to consider upgrading to an enterprise solution, such as the Draytek V2866LAC-K.
Need help mounting your antenna to your campervan? Check out our blog post!
Buses & Coaches
Internet access is a must for commuters and travellers using public transportation, whether in rural or urban areas. With the Poynting antennas, this is now possible!
For city buses (or those that mainly cover routes in urban areas), the PUCK antenna will provide a reliable and stable internet connection for passengers.
Coaches (or any public transport vehicles passing through rural areas) will benefit from the MIMO-3-V2-12 or MIMO-3-V2-15 as they are ultra-wide band and work with all mobile operators to provide a powerful Wi-Fi hotspot on board.
Blue Light & Emergency Services
It goes without saying that it is crucial for emergency service vehicles to have a permanent, uninterrupted connection to their headquarters via the internet.
As the MIMO antennas offer impressive radiation characteristics and omnidirectional patterns, they’re able to rise to the challenge of maintaining that connection no matter where the vehicle may end up in unexpected circumstances.
The MIMO-3 will guarantee connectivity in much more remote environments as it's larger and offers better performance in the lower radio frequencies. In particular, we recommend the MIMO-3-V2-15 (5-in-1 antenna system, providing 2x cellular, 2x Wi-Fi and 1x GPS antenna) in one single housing. We recommend pairing this with a Teltonika router, such as the RUTX11, to make use of all features.
Conclusion
Installing any Poynting antenna, in particular the MIMO or PUCK, will give you a strong and stable connection almost anywhere: a must for when you’re on the move.
Struggling to pick the right antenna for your use case? Give Poynting's antenna selector tool a try.
You can also get in touch with one of our experts to discuss your options.
