If you’re into upgrading your cellular Home Internet setup with better antennas and gateways, you’re probably aware of Waveform. In case you aren’t, Waveform is a small company that designs and sells external antennas and other accessories to make your cellular internet better. Their 4×4 and 2×2 MIMO outdoor panel antennas are probably their most well-known products.
That said, the current antennas aren’t without issues, and one of the biggest complaints among customers is price.
The 4×4 panel antenna comes in at a somewhat steep $400, and the 2×2, while cheaper, is only 2×2. Waveform is hoping to solve a few of the issues customers and prospective customers have had with their antennas by introducing two new models: the QuadPro and the QuadMini.
The Antennas
QuadPro
The new QuadPro is slated as a replacement to the current 4×4 panel antenna. It’s the same price and has very similar specs, with minor tweaks made to the antenna patterns and smaller SMA connectors instead of the previous RS240. This time around, the bundle is a much better value, as it includes the new FlexMount and window entry cable, and a 20ft length of cable (or more if desired at checkout).
Like the current antenna, the QuadPro is designed to be mounted outside, pointed towards a cell tower.
Specs
- Frequency Range: 600MHz to 6000MHz
- 9.1dBi peak gain
- 85% peak radiative efficiency
- Cost: $249.99 standalone, $399.99 bundle
QuadMini
If $400 is too much for you to spend on an antenna, or you can’t do an outdoor mount, the exciting new QuadMini might be the antenna for you. Like the QuadPro, it’s a 4×4 MIMO antenna, but in a much smaller (and thinner) package.
While it can be mounted outside (and Waveform recommends you do that in general), the QuadMini comes with hardware designed for an indoor setup, too. There’s a mount for placing it on a table and suction cups to attach to a window pane.
Coming in at just $120, it’s a whole lot cheaper than the QuadPro, and even cheaper than the old 2×2 panel antenna. Why so cheap? Waveform credits that to a simpler design and lower/more competitive profit margins.
While not a direct replacement for the 2×2 panel antenna, you can certainly use the QuadMini if your gateway only has 2 antenna ports. Just make sure to use cables 1+2 or 3+4 for the best experience. The QuadMini has the same SMA connectors as the QuadPro.
Specs
- Frequency Range: 600MHz to 6000MHz
- 5.2 dBi peak gain
- 85% peak radiative efficiency
- Cost: $119.99 standalone, $219.99 bundle
The Accessories
Along with the new antennas, Waveform is introducing new cables, mounting options, and ways to get the cable outside.
Previously, to install a Waveform antenna, you’d need to run a thick, somewhat unwieldy cable sheath from your gateway to your antenna. This process also usually involved drilling a hole in your wall to pass the cable through. Obviously, that isn’t ideal, especially if you live in a rental property, and Waveform is well aware.
If you buy the QuadMini or QuadPro antenna kit, you’ll receive a handy new window entry cable adapter. This adapter attaches either to your gateway directly or between two runs of cable, and routes the wires through a flat ribbon. Put the flat part through your window, close it, and you’re done. Waveform says the adapter should be compatible with most window types, including horizontal and vertical sliding windows, and shutter-style windows.
The antenna cable assembly itself has also been redesigned. The new UltraFlex cables are, as the name might suggest, more flexible than the old design. They’re also altogether thinner, although this isn’t without trade-offs. The signal loss in the new cables is slightly higher, but Waveform is confident that the positives of convenience outweigh the negatives.
Another difference with the cables is their modularity. Since the antennas use SMA connectors now, the cables can be chained together to create a length of your choosing. By default, the QuadMini kits come with 10-foot cables, and the QuadPro kits come with 20-foot cables. However, you can also get additional 20-foot (or multiple 10-foot) cables if needed, up to 60 feet. Custom lengths are also available on request if you need more, too.
Finally, there’s a new mounting bracket: the FlexMount. Instead of fiddling around with a pole, a bracket, and a bunch of bolts, the FlexMount lets you adjust both up/down and left/right in increments of a few degrees to align your antenna without all the hassle.
Conclusion
If the new antennas sound interesting to you, you can check them out on Waveform’s website, along with the specs and installation manuals.
Be sure to use code TMOREPORT at checkout for an extra 5% off!
Oh, and be sure to stay tuned to The Mobile Report! I’ve got both the QuadMini and QuadPro on-hand to review. I’ll be testing out the QuadMini in an indoor setting and trying out the new window adapter for the outdoor QuadPro, which is going to replace my current 4×4 panel antenna. Be sure to keep an eye out for that in the next week.
