I have a group of 404X devices in a remote area transmitting every 30 minutes. Despite the less than optimal signal quality/strength, there are little disconnects and I am averaging 0.05MB/day. 2 of my devices however, are suffering from high cloud.connection.disconnects in the ranges of 14 to 70. Data is still posted to the cloud (NO_ACK flag) but the daily cell usages for them sit around 1.20MB. I am attributing this increase to numerous cloud reconnections in a fringe area and am wondering if anybody has recommendations/success stories for an external antenna (that can brave the elements in an agricultural setting).
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@dzxm,
There is a lot to this topic and it has been brought up many times. The net is that you can get an external antenna which can make a difference in your device's cellular performance. Better signals make everything better - less data, less disconnections, better battery life and easier updates / diagnostics.
That said, it comes with a big price which is in certification. Particle has a certification for the device / antenna combo and if you change the antenna, you invalidate the certifications. So, I am hoping that the on-going improvement of cellular coverage, Particle's improving EtherSIM options and better radios / antenna - and now LoRA for reaching into dead spots will make external cellular antennae unnecessary.
That said, when there is no other choice, I use the Taoglas (Taoglas TLS.01.305111) external antenna below with a proper ground plane and as much elevation as possible. In those cases, it can make a big difference.
Here is a thread where this antenna is discussed:
and here is an example of what elevation can look like:
Hope this helps, Chip
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Much appreciated @chipmc! Current infrastructures are compact and nestled within orchards, so introducing a ground plane or increasing elevation may interfere with harvesting machinery. It was one of the reasons I kept with the default antennas, but I've heard good things about the TLS.01.305111 and may have to accommodate it to the impacted sites.
Makes sense. I don't know if this is an option for you but, particularly if you have more than one device in an orchard, you may want to look at our LoRA / Particle - Better Together thread. That way, you can have a Particle / LoRA gateway connecting to LoRA devices in your orchard where they can use small stick antennae.
Thanks,
Chip
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How did you manage to connect TLS.01.305111 to u.fl on Boron 404x?
Do you recommend any adequate adapter? I don't want to buy some
knockoffs from Amazon. Thank you 
I had a tough time with all the variations of SMA. Whoever invented RP-SMA should be ashamed of themselves!
You need an u.fl to SMA female and I could not find one on Digikey so, I did end up going to Amazon. Here the part I bought which worked well.
It has been a bit since I last ordered these so I recommend you get one pack and give it a try before going big.
Good luck!
Thanks,
Chip
Hi, I managed to find one on Mouser
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