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Custom antenna (Initial examination is that while there would likely be a performance boost, there will probably be a very steep learning curve. Additionally, it would be quite draining in terms of cost and labour so it might not be worth it. One consideration would be reaching out to some of the alumni who are still in contact with the team and seeing if they are familiar with rf circuits and would be willing to give some guidance/advice)
Custom Antenna Notes
Considerations:
Price
Knowledge (or lack thereof)
Reliability
performance improvements
Potential antennas:
PCB, Whip, Chip
Antenna amplifiers? → https://www.electroschematics.com/tag/antenna-amplifier-circuits/
might be worth looking into whether we could use antenna boosters (off the shelf ones). From what I’ve read they seem to boost ALL signals, meaning they could boost noise though we would likely have to test them to see whether there is any actual benefit. (example) https://antennabasics.com/best-stubby-antenna/
Resources
https://www.ti.com/lit/ml/slap127/slap127.pdf (intro to rf)
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