makerNova 17cm LoRa Whip Antenna

MakerNova’s 17cm 915 LoRa flexible omni antenna is the top performing antenna I put on handheld / mobile devices.

I have tried many higher-priced antennas from Digikey and other sources, and I can say you will not find a better omni antenna in this size, and certainly not for anywhere near its cost.

LoRa 915 Whip Antenna - Rubber Ducky

As you can see in the Blackout Comms Kit image above, this is the antenna I put on our top-of-the-line handheld encrypted mesh devices. If there is one better, I have not found it.

About This Antenna

The tall / solid base, combined with flexible antenna make this a good choice for a device that’s going to be carried and mobile, yet can’t sacrifice range offered by a good external antenna.

Specs

  • Cost (2025): $16.00

  • Frequency: 915 or 868

  • Gain: 10 dBi

  • Height: 17 cm (6.7”)

  • Type: Omnidirectional / Flexible

  • Max Power: 20 watts

Mesh / LoRa Tests I’ve Done With This

I developed (and maintain) the Blackout Comms firmware and various compatible hardware. When measuring improvements in the mesh algorithms, it’s critical that I have a base set of components that are my go-to for validating and quantifying improvements.

There are only a few components that I simply will not change from test to test, and this antenna is one of them, for good reason.

Amped LoRa Mobile Device Testing

This set of tests involved using T-Decks, Lilygo Pagers, and other LoRa devices to measure the distance improvements offered by the AirBuddy LoRa amp. As usual, the MakerNova antenna was what I selected for the amped devices.

Drone-Mounted Tracker LoRa Testing

In this set of tests, over the course of two weekends, I used a done-mounted AirBuddy Amped Altware Mesh Node to measure the maximum distance that a 20 watt LoRa base station can track the drone.

With this combination, the MakerNova antenna was able to broadcast (and base station receive) as far as 32 miles! You can see the details here.

Follow-up testing is planned, as I expect to be able to reach 50 miles or more. It’s difficult to coordinate tests across such distances though.

Rating : the Best Flexible Lora Antenna

After spending over a hundred hours testing devices and mesh firmware while using this antenna and others, I can tell you confidently this is a solid and very economical choice.

The results above show you what can be achieved with this antenna.

I have not yet tested it with a 20 watt amp, but that is coming soon as well.

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