You can cancel this question. I now see that your 03/22/22 article addresses this exact question. Specifically:
" Compared to the Peplink Mobility 42G, the 20G and 40G do much better with lower signal areas, which I would expect given the sheer size difference. The 42G has better gain numbers for some frequencies on paper, but the overall size, design, and radiation pattern of the Maritime series will be better for a boat setup because of the constant movement and tendency to be further away from towers."
Glad it was helpful! The big 20/40G antennas will always be better given their size over the 42G when it comes to grabbing a weak signal. However, the 42G is still pretty good, and is a lot easier to mount and deal with given its size. Pros and cons!
I am bringing a Pepwave MAX BR2 Pro cellular router to a sailboat, and that sailboat came with a pair of Pepwave Maritime 20G antennae on its mast, on the spreaders.
I want to know which antennae cables to connect to which ports. I plan to use both 20G antennae on a single cellular modem in 4x4 MIMO mode. (I plan to use the stubby antennas for the other cellular modem.)
I’ve found about a half-dozen documents and 4 or 5 forum posts that discuss related topics, but none answer this specific question. So I’m expanding my search. Anybody here know what the optimal configuration is, or how I can find it?
Thanks!
(Please ignore for this post the long cable runs; that is a separable concern. If I have to, I’ll eventually either move the router closer to the antennae, or I’ll just use stubby antennae for both cellular modems.)
(Sorry if this reply is considered hijacking the thread; if so, I’ll make a new post.)
Each Maritime 20G provides 2×2 MIMO. When both units are connected to the same cellular modem on the MAX BR2 Pro, they can be used together as a 4×4 MIMO antenna setup for that modem.
Connect as follows (example: Cellular Modem 1):
Maritime 20G #1
LTE/5G lead 1 → Cellular 1A
LTE/5G lead 2 → Cellular 1B
Maritime 20G #2
LTE/5G lead 1 → Cellular 1C
LTE/5G lead 2 → Cellular 1D
Notes:
Keep all four leads on the same modem (don’t split across Modem 1 and 2).
Connect one GPS lead to the BR2 GPS port; the second GPS lead can be left unused.
Yep. I tested this configuration, and it seemed to work.
I didn’t test permutations of this to see if any other worked better, but I figured Peplink knows what they’re talking about, and their suggestion worked at least as well as the stubby paddle antennae.
It’s good you tested different connections. I’ve found that the recommended cabling can work most of the time, but boats are fickle in particular with locations and interference.
Length of cables is also a big factor - I usually recommend no longer than 30’ from the router to the antenna including all cabling. And every joint or connector adds additional loss. When you’re only seeing 2-3dB of gain from an antenna, those losses matter.