• Flat Antenna Cables pass under a window so that you can set your Helium miner outside your window, for much better range.
• All of our Antenna Cables and adapters are compatible with Helium Network routers & gear
  • RP-SMA antenna cables & adapters: Compatible with almost Helium hotspots (see table of miners below)
  • RP-SMA-male to N-male or N-female: To connect your miner to a high-gain, outdoor helium antenna
  • SMA antenna cables & adapters: Compatible with LoraWAN hotspots: All of our antenna cables and adapters with SMA-male connectors are compatible with LoraWAN hotspots.

Helium Miner Models' Antenna Connector Types

Setting up an external LoRa antenna outdoors

Helium miners can be indoor or outdoor designs, but both types benefit from an outdoor LoRa antenna. For outdoor Helium miners with ruggedized weatherproof enclosures, outdoor antennas are already integrated into the design. Indoor Helium gateways require an outdoor antenna to be connected to the miner via a length of antenna cable that is then attached to the female RP-SMA connector on the miner. The antenna cable enables the LoRa antenna to be optimally positioned for maximum view while the miner sits indoors.

Passing an antenna cable from an indoor miner to an outdoor antenna.

• Use a Flat Antenna Cable to pass the cable under the window, to position the antenna outdoors for much better range:

Running coax through to an outdoor antenna can be challenging. If a wall cannot be drilled for the cable to pass through, it is usually passed through a window or door. However, the closure of a door or window on a standard coaxial cable will damage it, disrupting its insulation and shielding and causing it to fail.

Data Alliance provides flat antenna cables that are suitable for passing through a window or door frame without becoming damaged. These cables are also known as:

• Flat coaxial cable couplers
• Window entry cables
• Window jumpers
• Window pass-through cables
• RF jumper adapter

This is a specially designed flat antenna cable that can have a door or window closed over it without compromising signal quality. The flattened length of coax is terminated by two RF connectors. The thickness is only a few millimeters and the signal attenuation of flat coax is low. Within the flat coax is a connecting length of micro-coax which is protected by copper beads. Most window jumpers have an adhesive strip to hold the coax in place in the window or door frame.

A flat coaxial cable is an ideal solution for connecting an indoor Helium miner to an outdoor LoRa antenna without drilling or significant signal loss.

Installation of flat coax for your Helium miner is simple.

The door or window is opened and the flat coax is placed in the frame and fixed in place using its adhesive strip. The window or door can then be closed over the flat coax. Antenna cable can then be run from one end of the flat coax to the antenna and from the flat coax to the Helium miner.

Data alliance flat coax for Helium miners

Flat RP-SMA coax cableis available in multiple lengths between 7 inches and 36 inches. In addition the following antenna cables are available to connect helium miners:

• RP-SMA to Type antenna cables
• More Helium miner accessories can be found in the Helium accessory items directory.

Attachment of a high-gain external LoRa antenna is key to boosting Helium miner earnings.

Helium Network Token (HNT) earning by Helium miners is dependent on the visibility and performance of a gateway in:

• transferring IoT data from client devices
• proof of coverage (PoC) challenges
• PoC witnessing

Participant gateways in The People’s Network can boost their cryptocurrency earnings by selecting an external LoRa antenna that can be attached to a miner to boost its coverage and efficiency.

Like WiFi routers, most indoor and outdoor Helium miners are sold with a detachable omnidirectional LoRa antenna.

• On indoor Helium miners, this is usually connected via a female RP-SMA connector.
• On outdoor Helium miners, the antenna connector is often a Type N connector.

This antenna can be removed and replaced with an antenna that has better characteristics for a specific setup or location. 3 dBi LoRa antennas, 5.8 dBi LoRa antennas, 8 dBi LoRa antennas, and 10 dBi LoRa antennas are popular replacements that can be attached directly to the miner or via a length of antenna cable. Indoor LoRa antennas can also be exchanged for outdoor antennas also.

An external LoRa antenna can be positioned to give your Helium miner the best coverage.

Hotspot placement is critical to optimizing earnings from the Helium network. A hotspot that adds value will earn more. 4 key factors determine the optimum setup for a Helium miner:

1. Hotspot density: Because Helium miners not only earn from transferring IoT data but also from participating in PoC challenges, the location of the miner needs to ideally be amongst other miners where these challenges can take place.
2. The view of the antenna: The Helium miner should be outside the window / outdoors, in the most optimal position to increase the range coverage of the Helium miner. Walls and glass will diminish the LoRa signal. The antenna should also be mounted as high up as possible with a clear view. Raising the height of the LoRa antenna by 1 meter can have a noticeable difference in the Helium miner’s earnings.
3. The antenna characteristics: The antenna receiving (Rx) power is more important than its transmission (Tx) power. Increasing gain can boost performance but if the gain is excessive it can invalidate the hotspot. Pro Helium miners use optimally positioned outdoor antennas with a gain of between 5 and 8 dBi.
4. Connectors and cables: Antenna cables should be high-quality well-shielded coax that is kept as short as possible to prevent losses along the line. Poor connector attachment or use of multiple adapters will also impair profitability.