Difference Between Flat Panel Antenna and Sector Antenna

You must have seen many antennas around you, on the rooftops, trees, walls, and many other places. Can you find any difference between them? Can you specify which is a flat panel antenna and which one is a sector antenna among them? Many people confuse them as the same, but they are designed to serve different functions. Today, we are going to see the difference between a flat antenna and  sector antenna to erase all your confusion. Let’s begin!

What is a Flat Panel Antenna?

A flat panel antenna is a compact and slim antenna that comes in a square shape. It is the directional antenna that offers a highly focused signal in a specific direction. This antenna has a narrow beam width and a high gain value.

The flat panel antenna is easy to install because of its lightweight design. It is best suited for the targeted use in spaces like hallways, warehouses, vehicles, and more. Many leading industries are leveraging these antennas, like marine satellite communication, aviation, the military, and others.

What is a Sector Antenna?

A sector antenna is a large, long, and rectangular-shaped antenna. It provides broad sector-shaped coverage, for instance, in 60 to 120 degrees. This antenna has comparatively lower gain and a wider beam width. It requires more space, as it is mounted on towers or poles. This antenna is widely used in large outdoor areas where wide coverage is required. These are employed in cell phone towers, stadiums, campuses, and other locations around us.

Difference Between Flat Panel Antenna and Sector Antenna

If you are confused about what to choose for strengthening your wireless connectivity, it’s crucial to understand the difference between a flat panel antenna and a sector antenna. We have already seen what a flat panel antenna and a sector antenna are. Now, let’s move on to the most awaited question: Flat Panel Antenna vs Sector antenna! Which one is best? Here are some differences between a flat panel antenna and a sector antenna:

Coverage Pattern

Both flat panel antennas and sector antennas provide different area coverage. A flat panel antenna offers focused one-directional coverage with stronger signals. This antenna can be used as a Wifi antenna.

A sector antenna offers a sector pattern of 60 to 120 degrees to offer multidirectional signals. This helps to cover a broad area. This antenna can be used as a Yagi antenna, reducing interference and providing sector coverage.

Frequency

A flat panel antenna offers a much broader range of frequencies. They can cover from lower VHF/UHF too much higher bands like 27-31 GHz Ka-band. It works best for satellite communications because of its directional design. You can use it as a GPS antenna according to your requirements.

On the other hand, sector antennas usually work within 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz for Wifi. It is ideal for large and general area coverage with existing wireless infrastructure. This antenna has a lower frequency but is ideal for a specific geographical area.

Design and Shape

A flat panel antenna has a square-shaped flat design. It makes it lightweight, compact, and easy to install. This makes these antennas easy to integrate into vehicles or other separate installations. You can consider them as your car antenna.

A sector antenna has an elongated rectangular shape. It is much larger than the flat panel antenna, and it is ideal for outdoor usage. For instance, you can utilize it as an outdoor Wifi antenna. It will help facilitate smooth networking in settings like stadiums, farms, warehouses, and more.

Environment

A flat panel antenna is easy to mount in various environments. The high-interference urban environment benefits more from these antennas because of their focused beam. These antennas are employed in modern areas like industrial settings, defense, and more.

A sector antenna takes relatively more space and effort in its installation because of its larger size and elongated shape. These antennas are in use in rural and suburban areas where broad area coverage is required. You can break a large area into smaller coverage zones to provide uninterrupted signals.

Gain Requirements

A flat panel antenna usually has higher gain, which facilitates longer-distance signals in a specific direction. They have a narrower beam width that can pass through interference. This is an ideal choice for long-distance communication areas.

A sector antenna usually has less gain compared to a panel antenna because of its sector coverage. It has a wider beam width, which works best for providing a seamless network to a large customer base or multiple indoor floor plans.

Signal Strength and Interference

A flat panel antenna, as a directional antenna, provides powerful signals in a specific direction. It can have less interference from nearby signals. Many leading industries are employing these antennas because of their focused signals, like marine, defense, telecommunications, transportation, automobile, aerospace, and more.

A sector panel antenna provides signals in a broad area, but the strength is lower. It can have relatively more interference, so it’s essential to be careful about its installation. These antennas are also widely used in many sectors like defense, telecommunications, transportation, mining, oil and gas, and more.

Conclusion

Nowadays, reliable networks and smooth connectivity are the need of the hour. The world is becoming increasingly digitalized every day. To cope with this pace, a good network connection is non-negotiable. Both flat-panel antennas and sector antennas serve useful purposes in this modern age. Both are facilitating smooth wireless connectivity and uninterrupted signals in diverse sectors all over the world. If you want to choose one between the two, the above-mentioned difference between a flat panel antenna and a sector antenna can help you in your decision.

Always make sure to choose an antenna based on your specific requirements. Keep in mind factors like coverage area, gain, frequency range, installation, and more. You can also get in touch with an antenna manufacturer and distributor near you if you are looking to buy the antennas in large quantities. They can also help you choose the right antenna for you because of their expertise and experience in this area.