Best 5.8 GHz FPV Drone Antennas of 2019
Flying in First Person View (FPV) requires a decent antenna. They come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and price ranges. All you really need to know is which one is right for you and your setup. A low-quality antenna with a weak or unreliable reception results in a poor FPV experience—it’s as simple as that.
Here are the four different kinds of antennas used for flying drones aka unmanned aerial vehicles:
- Circular polarized
- Dipole
- Helical (for receivers only)
- Patch (for receivers only)
| Budget |
|---|
 |
| AKK 5.8GHz 5DBi Professional |
| 4.3/5.0 |
| Type: four Leaf Mushroom |
| FPV Range: N/A |
| Can be used for 5.8GHz drones, vtx/vrx, monitors & goggles. |
| Check Amazon |
| Best Value |
|---|
 |
| Crazepony Foxeer 5.8G FPV |
| 4.8/5.0 |
| Type: Mushroom |
| FPV Range: N/A |
| Can be used for FPV multicopter transmitter and receiver. |
| Check Amazon |
| Top Pick |
|---|
 |
| Circular Wireless HELIAXIAL58 |
| 4.6/5.0 |
| Type: Circular Wireless Helical |
| FPV Range: 6+ Km |
| Can be used as a video receiver for long-range FPV. |
| Check Amazon |
Connecting Your Antenna
FPV equipment uses two basic types of connector. Make sure you know which one you have so that you can match it to your antenna. These connectors are RP-SMA and SMA. There doesn’t seem to be any benefits of one kind of connection over another. If you’re unsure which type you have then refer to the product description to find out the connector type of your FPV transmitter and receiver.
WARNING! NEVER TRY TO POWER YOUR FPV TRANSMITTER WITHOUT ITS ANTENNA ATTACHED
Understanding Antennas
Circular polarized antennas: You can find these in various designs. They provide a far better reception than the dipole antennas below. They don’t cost much either. These things combined make them the most popular antennas for FPV multirotor drones.
Dipole antennas: You may also know these as rubber ducky aerials. The design is basic and so is the performance. They have a notably poor range and I certainly wouldn’t recommend them for multirotor drones. Another downside is that you have to keep them positioned upright otherwise they won’t transmit. That means a sudden move to the left or right, up or down, could lose the signal.
Helical and Patch antennas: Both these types of antenna take on a spring or spiral shape. Overall their reception is better than polarized antennas and far superior to dipole types. They’re far from perfect though. Because of their narrow beam, they perform best when the antenna faces the transmitting antenna. They do work from the sides and behind but not as well.
The table below lists seven of the best FPV antennas available right now in the order they appear in this guide. I’ve ordered them by price starting with the least expensive at the top.
5.8 GHz FPV Antennas Comparison Table
| Make and Model of FPV Drone | Type | FPV Range | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| AKK 5.8GHz 5DBi Professional | four Leaf Mushroom | N/A | Check Price |
| Anbee FPV 5.8Ghz Circular Polarized | Clover Leaf | N/A | Check Price |
| Crazepony FPV 5.8G Circular Polarized | Mushroom | N/A | Check Price |
| Crazepony FPV 5.8G Panel Antenna | Panel | 5-15 Km | Check Price |
| Crazepony Foxeer 5.8G FPV Antenna | Mushroom | N/A | Check Price |
| Circular Wireless SPW58 Skew Planar Wheel | Skew Planar Wheel | 2+ Km | Check Price |
| Circular Wireless HELIAXIAL58 | Circular Wireless Helical | 6+ Km | Check Price |
#1 Best Budget: AKK 5.8GHz 5DBi Professional
Editor’s Rating: 4.3/5
This is a 5.8G four leaf mushroom type antenna. It’s suitable for most First Person View FPV multi-copters. It’s small and lightweight and has adjustable direction with a stable signal transmission. The frequency range is the standard 5.8GHz. The antenna has a height of just 88mm and a maximum diameter of 4mm. It weighs around 7.64g (0.26 ounce). The connector type is RP-SMA (male). The Lighting Protection is DC grounded.
The good thing about this antenna is its signal strength. Its main drawback is that it’s somewhat flimsy but then it does cost less than eight bucks. Then again, if you expect the equipment to get a few knocks you have to think about the products durability.
Tech specs at a glance:
- Antenna type: Four-leaf mushroom circular polarization
- Use: 5.8GHz drones, vtx/vrx, monitors & goggles
- Product dimensions: Height: 88mm, max diameter: 4mm, min diameter: 1mm
- Weight: 7.64g
- FPV range: Not specified
#2 Anbee FPV 5.8Ghz Circular Polarized
Editor’s Rating: 4.4/5
This Anbee FPV antenna is an Amazon Choice Product at the time of writing this guide. It runs on the standard 5.8 GHz and is a circular polarized cloverleaf design that sells for less than 10 bucks. ‘Circular polarized’ is a construction that helps to better reduce interference. The antenna is also omnidirectional which means it can transmit and receive signals from all directions.
This package comes with two pieces and they have RP-SMA female plugs. These are for both transmitter and receiver. Anbee’s claim is that they produce their antennas with high precision. They also test the products 100% before they leave the factory. This may seem like an obvious point but not all manufacturers do it. We know this by some of the user reviews written by disgruntled buyers.
Tech specs at a glance:
- Antenna type: Clover-leaf style omnidirectional, circular polarized
- Use: 5.8 GHz FPV systems
- Product dimensions (package): 3.8 x 3 x 0.6″
- Weight: 0.3 oz.
- FPV range: Not specified
#3 Crazepony FPV 5.8G Circular Polarized
Editor’s Rating: 4.5/5
Next up is the Crazepony FPV LHCP 5.8G FPV Skew Planar Antenna for Multicopter drones. This one also sells for less than $10 and is a popular choice on Amazon like my other picks here. It’s an L type RP-SMA (male) circular polarized mushroom design with reduced interference.
This is a whole new design with notable gains for FPV aerial footage. It sports Omni-directional (all directions) and has an improved range. It should work well with most drone wireless video receiving/transmitting systems. The seller seems to have an outstanding reputation for excellent customer service which is always nice to know.
Tech specs at a glance:
- Antenna type: Circular polarized mushroom
- Use: FPV aerial photo multicopters
- Product dimensions: 89x36x36mm (LxWxH)
- Weight: 25g
- FPV range: Not specified
#4 Crazepony FPV 5.8G Panel Antenna
Editor’s Rating: 4.7/5
My fourth choice is another PV 5.8G antenna from Crazepony. This time we have a Panel Antenna. It sports 14dBi High Gain SMA (male) plug RX. It’s a suitable product for RC multicopters. The frequency range is 5600-5950MHz. It’s also another decent product that sells for less than 10 dollars at the time of writing this guide.
The Panel Antenna is lightweight, decent quality, and performs really well with a high self-recovery function. The lighting protection with this antenna is DC grounded. The Transmitting distance is impressive too (see tech specs below). It’s an affordable choice and a decent product for anyone who has a mini-sized RC FPV. The ones sold so far have been enjoying some excellent user feedback.
Tech specs at a glance:
- Antenna type: 5.8G panel
- Use: RC FPV, mini size multicopters
- Product dimensions: 60 x 55 x 6mm
- Weight: 27g
- FPV range: 5km w/ 5.8G 600mw VTXRX, and 15km w/ 5.8G 1200mw VTXRX
#5 Best Value: Crazepony Foxeer 5.8G FPV Antenna
Editor’s Rating: 4.8/5
The Foxeer 5.8G FPV antenna is the last product from Crazepony. This is a 5.8G FPV circular polarized mushroom type antenna. It’s the Omni Cloud Spirit and is ideal for FPV multicopters. It’s a Tx (transmit) and Rx (receive) RP-SMA (male) left-hand circular polarized antenna or LHCP for short.
The material is Cu (copper) and the antenna weighs just 12 grams. Lightning protection is the standard DC Grounded. The 3dB horizontal and vertical lobe width are 360° and 120° respectively.
It’s a popular choice FPV antenna. It’s pretty small, functional, and it should fit without the need for any modifications. The stem is stiff and will stay in whatever position you put it. The short stem and good reception are its major selling points.
Tech specs at a glance:
- Antenna type: Circular Polarized Omni Cloud Spirit Mushroom
- Use: FPV multicopter transmitter and receiver
- Product dimensions: 62×35mm
- Weight: 12g
- FPV range: Not specified
#6 Circular Wireless SPW58 Skew Planar Wheel
Editor’s Rating: 4.1/5
Here we have the SPW58 Skew Planar Wheel 5.8 GHz FPV Antenna from Circular Wireless. There’s a sharp increase in price compared to the others reviewed so far. This is a right-hand circular polarized (RHCP) omnidirectional product. It has a traditional 360° radiation pattern and is perfect for use with a video transmitter.
This antenna is especially effective for longer range First Person View (FPV). You can expect a 2km FPV range when used in conjunction with a second Skew Planar Wheel antenna on the video receiver. Or, you can get a 6km FPV range when combined with a helical antenna.
This product comes with an SMA straight connector (male). There’s also a 90° angled SMA male/female adapter. The flexible mast does a great job of protecting the video SMA connector located in the video Tx. This is a welcome feature whenever there’s a crash landing or collision. Other smart technology helps to avoid multipath interference. This is the interference that would otherwise break up video due to reflected signals from solid structures.
That’s the Circular Wireless SPW58 Skew Planar Wheel 5.8 GHz FPV antenna in a nutshell. It’s a serious product for the more serious pilot. Is it worth the $45 price tag (at the time of writing)? Some reviewers seem to think so when they compare it to other skew planars.
Tech specs at a glance:
- Antenna type: Circular Polarized (RHCP) omnidirectional skew planar wheel
- Use: Video transmitter for long-range FPV
- Product dimensions: 3.4 x 2.5 x 1.7″
- Weight: 0.3 oz.
- FPV range: 2-6 Km (depends on antenna attached to video receiver)
#7 Top Pick: Circular Wireless HELIAXIAL58
Editor’s Rating: 4.6/5
My final choice of antenna is the most expensive in this review guide. Here we have the Circular Wireless HELIAXIAL58. As the name suggests it’s a Helical Axial, 5.8 GHz FPV Antenna. It’s an RHCP (Right Hand Circular Polarized) directional product with a high gain.
The Ideal Choice for Longer Range FPV
This is the perfect choice for longer range FPV when attached to a video receiver. The 12dB of gain allows for enhanced targeting of the radio signals. You can expect an FPV range in the neighborhood of 6km with a Skew Planar Wheel antenna attached to your video transmitter.
The adaptor is an SMA (female) connector and includes three types of adapters. This is handy as it allows different ways to connect the antenna to your receiver at a chosen angle.
The construction consists of a reflector which is 3mm aluminum. The supporting structure is Plexiglas. Enameled copper forms the helix which runs parallel to the aerial reflector.
This is a precision product and it’s worth the cost for anyone who wants long-range First Person View.
Tech specs at a glance:
- Antenna type: Circular wireless helical axial mode 5.8 GHz
- Use: Video receiver for long-range FPV
- Product dimensions: 5.3 x 3.4 x 2.7″
- Weight: 1.6 oz.
- FPV range: 6+ km w/ Skew Planar Wheel Antenna on transmitter
Contents
- Connecting Your Antenna
- Understanding Antennas
- 5.8 GHz FPV Antennas Comparison Table
- #1 Best Budget: AKK 5.8GHz 5DBi Professional
- #2 Anbee FPV 5.8Ghz Circular Polarized
- #3 Crazepony FPV 5.8G Circular Polarized
- #4 Crazepony FPV 5.8G Panel Antenna
- #5 Best Value: Crazepony Foxeer 5.8G FPV Antenna
- #6 Circular Wireless SPW58 Skew Planar Wheel
- #7 Top Pick: Circular Wireless HELIAXIAL58
- The Ideal Choice for Longer Range FPV