TLDR: Get your antenna from reputable vendor, beware of replica/fakes too.
Turns out most of the budget antennas are replicas. They kinda work, just poorly. Without a VNA, you wouldn’t even know – you’d just waste time wondering why your range sucks.
The replicas aren’t completely fake (they do function), but:
- Gain ratings are inflated
- Build quality is questionable
- Performance is inconsistent
If you’re serious about RF:
- Pay for legit antennas from known brands
- Or at least test your cheap ones properly
Otherwise you’ll spend more time debugging than actually using the damn things.