LoRa and Helium (868 MHz) antennas for maximum coverage
The 868 MHz band is the standard for LoRaWAN and the Helium network in the Netherlands and Europe. Whether you're using a Helium miner for crypto mining or a professional LoRa gateway for smart cities or agricultural sensors, the right antenna determines your coverage.
Important to know:
An American 915 MHz antenna performs significantly worse in Europe. Always choose an antenna specifically tuned to 868 MHz.
Popular choices:
- Sirio SCO-868 Series – Industrial fiber optic omni antennas with high gain (5.8–8 dBi), ideal for mast mounting
- Diamond BC Series – Reliable all-round antenna for test setups
- Komunica 868 MHz fiber optic antennas – Robust and suitable for permanent outdoor installations.
Applications:
- Helium Miner optimization
- Smart city networks
- Agricultural sensor networks
- IoT gateways with Raspberry Pi
Do you want to combine multiple signals (e.g., LoRa + GSM-900)? Then a broadband directional antenna such as a log-periodic solution is ideal.
| Brand
|
Strongest Point
|
Best Category
|
Build quality
|
| Sirio
|
Price/Performance
|
LoRaWAN / Helium
|
Industrial (Fiber Optic)
|
| Diamond |
Precision
|
ISM 433 / Hobby
|
High Quality (Amateur)
|
| Comet
|
Innovation
|
ISM / Broadband
|
High Quality (Amateur)
|
| Communica
|
Robustness
|
IoT / Professional
|
Heavy Duty
|
ISM 433 MHz and Sigfox antennas
The ISM 433 MHz band is widely used for home automation, remote controls, weather stations, and industrial control. Sigfox operates on 868 MHz in Europe and is used for low-level data traffic and asset tracking.
Suitable antennas:
- Sirio GP 433 – Ground plane antenna for better local coverage
- Diamond BC-202 – Popular for longer distances within the 430–440 MHz band
- Comet UHF antennas – Innovative solutions for fixed and mobile installations
Applications:
- Control of pumps and locks
- Weather stations
- Asset tracking
- Hobby projects with SDR receiver
For experimental setups with Raspberry Pi or SDR receivers, a well-tuned 433 MHz antenna is essential for stable reception.
GSM-R and GSM-900 antennas – crucial for rail safety
GSM-R (around 900 MHz) is the European standard for railway communications and is used in the Netherlands for rail safety. Reliability, vibration resistance, and weather resistance are absolute requirements here.
Recommended solutions:
- Sirio broadband antennas suitable for GSM-900 and GSM-R
- Komunica heavy-duty mobile antennas for vehicles
- Log-periodic directional antennas for monitoring and fixed installations
Also for monitoring purposes, for example with an SDR receiver or for signal analysis, a directional antenna is often the best choice.
All-in-one antenna for multiple networks
Do you work with multiple protocols simultaneously, such as LoRa, GSM-900, and even 4G? Then a log-periodic antenna is a smart investment. It supports a wide frequency range (e.g., 698–2700 MHz) and offers stable performance across multiple bands.
Ideal for:
- Mast installations
- Test locations
- Monitoring stations
- Combination of IoT and mobile networks
Which antenna do you need?
The right choice depends on:
- Frequency (433 MHz, 868 MHz, 900 MHz)
- Application (IoT, Helium Miner, GSM-R, ADS-B aircraft tracking)
- Indoor or outdoor use
- Desired coverage (omni or directional antenna)
- Mounting (mast, vehicle, magnetic base, embedded)
Not sure? Our specialists are happy to help you select the right antenna for your application.
Application and region comparison table
| Technology
|
Frequency
|
Reach
|
Use in NL/EU
|
Best Application |
| LoRaWAN
|
868 MHz
|
15 km
|
Very high
|
Industry, Agriculture, Smart City
|
| Helium
|
868 MHz |
15 km
|
High (Urban)
|
Decentralized IoT network
|
| Sigfox/ 0G network
|
868 MHz
|
40 km
|
Moderate
|
Low-cost asset tracking/sensors (packages)
|
| ISM 433 |
433 MHz |
< 100 m
|
Everywhere
|
Home automation, Remote controls
|
| GSM-R
|
900 MHz
|
Mast-bound
|
Track only
|
Safety and rail traffic
|
| GSM-900
|
900 MHz |
Mast-bound |
Decreasing
|
Old alarm systems, Speech
|
Selection aid
Sirio is the most widely used brand for fixed installations in the Netherlands, mainly because of its excellent price-quality ratio and focus on European frequencies.
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Sirio SCO-868-6 : The absolute favorite for helium miners and LoRaWAN gateways. This robust fiber optic antenna is precisely tuned to the European 868 MHz band. Available with N-Male and SMA-Male connectors.
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Sirio GP 868 C : A collinear ground-plane antenna with radials. Very suitable for GSM-R and GSM-900 monitoring due to its wide 835-900 MHz range.
-
Sirio HGO 433-868 : A unique dual-band antenna. Ideal if you want to receive both ISM 433 (home automation) and LoRa (sensors) on a single mast.
Diamond originates from the amateur radio world, but their antennas are widely used for professional IoT measurements and ISM applications.
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Diamond BC-205 : Powerful omnidirectional base antenna with a frequency range of 430 to 490 MHz suitable for various communication purposes.
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Diamond BC-100S: Robust omnidirectional VHF base antenna for various applications in the VHF range, including the Airband (115.000 - 136.975 MHz) and the 2-meter band (HAM) (136.000 - 174.000 MHz).
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Diamond X-30 and X-50: Although officially amateur radio antennas, the UHF portions of these antennas are often used for listening to local ISM signals around the 433 MHz band.
Selection aid based on application
Aviation & Maritime (VHF)
These antennas are used at airports or in ports for communication between control towers/coast guard and vehicles.
- Sirio GP 108-136U/N: Specific to the airband. This is the frequency on which pilots and air traffic controllers communicate with each other.
- Sirio 135-175 (GPA series): A very wide VHF antenna. In the Netherlands, this range is used by marine radio (shipping), private corporate networks, and radio amateurs (2-meter band).
Professional UHF & TETRA (380 - 480 MHz)
This segment is crucial for critical communications.
- Sirio GP 365-470 & Sirio 430: These are widely used for TETRA networks (such as C2000 in the Netherlands for police/fire brigades, but then the private variants for security and industry).
- Also perfect for the ISM 433 MHz band (long-range home automation).
Low VHF & Radio Broadcast
- Sirio GP 66-78 / GP 76-88: This is the so-called "4-meter band." Previously used by Dutch emergency services, it's now mainly used by specialized logistics companies or hobbyists.
- Sirio GP 87-108: This is a pure FM radio antenna. Used by local broadcasters or for event broadcasting (e.g., drive-in cinemas).
Special antenna series
Sirio GPF, GPS and SMP
- Sirio GPF: Stands for "Fiberglass." These are the white, weatherproof fibers often seen on roof terraces for LoRaWAN or professional PMR networks.
- Sirio GPS: In the world of Sirio, "GPS" often refers to the classic 27 MHz (CB/Bakkie) base antennas, such as the well-known Sirio GPS 27. Not to be confused with satellite navigation!
- Sirio SMP: These are panel antennas (flat white enclosures). They are directional and ideal for 4G/5G LTE or for covering a specific area with a Wi-Fi or LoRa signal.
Sirio GPA Series (Ground Plane Antennas)
The GPA series consists of 1/4-wave antennas. They are relatively compact, very broadband, and widely used for professional communications and monitoring.
- Sirio GPA 66-108: A very versatile antenna that you can tune yourself (by adjusting the length of the antenna). Application: Widely used in the Netherlands for the FM broadcast band (87.5-108 MHz) by local stations, but also for the lower VHF bands (such as the old 4-meter band).
- Sirio GPA 108-136: The standard for listening to aircraft (Airband). Ideal if you want to listen to pilots and air traffic control in addition to "watching" aircraft (via ADS-B).
- Sirio GPA 27-45: Specifically for the lower frequencies such as 27 MHz (CB) and the 10-meter amateur band.
Sirio GPE Series (High Performance CB/10m)
The GPE series is the "big brother" and operates on the 5/8-wave principle. These antennas are considerably longer (often around 6 meters) and offer greater gain.
- Sirio GPE 27 5/8: One of the best-selling base antennas for 27 MHz (CB/Bakkie) in Europe. Features: It has three radials on the bottom and a transparent cover over the coil. It is designed for DX traffic (very long-distance contacts through the atmosphere).
- Sirio GPE 5/8 Eco: The budget-friendly version of the GPE 27, often supplied without the anti-static tip, but with the same performance.
Sirio SY series
Two versions of this antenna are available, with the number indicating the number of elements. More elements provide a stronger, but also narrower, signal.
- Sirio SY 1090-6: A more compact version with 6 elements and a gain of 11.5 dBi.
- Sirio SY 1090-10: The most powerful version with 10 elements and a gain of 14 dBi.
Key features of the SY series
- High Gain: Due to the directivity, you achieve a much higher gain than with a standard antenna, which is essential for long-range tracking.
- Interference suppression: Because the antenna only "looks" in the direction it is pointed, it automatically filters out noise and interference from other directions.
- Robust construction: Made of aluminum and thermoplastic, making it resistant to wind speeds of up to 150-180 km/h.
- DC-Grounded: The antenna is electrically grounded to protect your receiver from static discharges.
Sirio SPO series
The SPO series covers various tyres, namely:
For Aviation & ADS-B ( 1090 MHz)
- Sirio SPO 1090-6: This is the "high-gain" version of the SCO-1.09-5. Gain: 6 dBi (compared to the SCO's 4.8 dBi). Suitable for professional aircraft trackers who want to achieve maximum distance from a fixed installation.
- Sirio SPO 118-2: Specifically for Airband (voice) communication.
For UHF, TETRA & IoT (380 - 470 MHz)
- Sirio SPO 380-2 / SPO 380-5: Widely used for private TETRA networks and critical communications in ports or industrial areas.
- Sirio SPO 420-8: A very powerful antenna for the UHF band ($420 - 450 MHz). It is often used in the Netherlands for ISM/LoRa on 433 MHz when extreme range is required (for example, to control locks or sensors on large industrial estates).
For VHF & Marine Radio (145 - 175 MHz)
- Sirio SPO 145-5 / SPO 158-5: Professional antennas for marine and land-mobile networks.
Why choose Deltron?
- Complete range of Diamond, Comet, Sirio and Komunica
- Antennas tuned to European frequencies
- Suitable for professional and hobby applications
- Technical knowledge of LoRa, IoT and GSM-R applications
- Fast delivery from our own stock
Do you want to optimize your LoRa network, improve your Helium Miner or need a reliable solution for GSM-R or ISM 433 MHz?
View our range or contact us for personal advice.
