3dBi UHF PCB RFID Antenna – 180x162mm

An 865–868 MHz antenna is designed for UHF RFID and low-power wireless applications operating in the European ETSI SRD band. Typical uses include UHF RFID readers (EPC Gen2 / ISO 18000-6C), asset tracking, warehouse management, access control, smart retail, race timing, and IoT/M2M systems deployed in Europe and other regions following ETSI regulations.
Airplux offers this band across multiple product families: the ETSI 865–868 MHz RFID antenna line (3–15 dBi PCB, panel and mat antennas), near-field RFID antennas, narrow-beam antennas, and ETSI UHF integrated reader antennas. For example, the 3 dBi circular-polarized PCB antenna APRIA8003CM-137 suits compact desktop readers, while high-gain panel models support long-range portal and gate applications.

ETSI 865–868 MHz antennas are tuned for the European UHF RFID band (ETSI EN 302 208), while FCC 902–928 MHz antennas cover the North American band (FCC Part 15). The two bands do not overlap, so an antenna optimized for one will have degraded VSWR, gain and read range on the other. Choose the version that matches your reader’s regional profile.
Airplux manufactures both variants with matching mechanical designs — e.g., the ETSI 865–868 MHz panel series and the FCC 902–928 MHz series are available at the same gain levels (3–15 dBi). For global or multi-region deployments that need one SKU for both markets, the wideband UHF 860–960 MHz antenna line covers both bands in a single antenna, ideal for asset tracking and smart retail projects shipped worldwide.

It is not recommended. A 915 MHz antenna is resonant around 902–928 MHz; at 865–868 MHz its impedance match detunes, VSWR rises, and radiated efficiency drops — typically reducing RFID read range by 20–40% or more, and in some regions pushing the system out of regulatory compliance. Always match the antenna to the device’s operating band.
If your hardware must serve both Europe (865–868 MHz) and North America (902–928 MHz), use a genuinely wideband model instead of compromising with a single-band antenna. Airplux’s UHF 860–960 MHz RFID antenna series maintains consistent gain and low VSWR across the entire 860–960 MHz range, so one antenna design can be certified and deployed in both regions.

Beamwidth describes the angular coverage of an antenna’s main radiation pattern and helps determine how RF energy is distributed across the reading area. The Airplux APRIA8003CX-180 has a 73° horizontal and 64° vertical beamwidth, providing a relatively broad coverage angle for close-range identification tasks. Actual coverage depends on mounting distance, antenna orientation, tag position, and surrounding materials.

The front-to-back ratio compares an antenna’s radiation in its main forward direction with its radiation in the opposite direction. A value of at least 10 dB indicates that forward radiation is stronger than rearward radiation. The Airplux APRIA8003CX-180 specifies a front-to-back ratio of ≥10 dB, which helps characterize its directional radiation pattern when planning antenna placement.

The choice depends on the required reading distance, coverage area, and installation space. A 3 dBi antenna, such as the Airplux APRIA8003CX-180, may suit more localized reading zones, while a 4 dBi antenna can provide higher gain when additional coverage is required. However, gain alone does not determine reading performance; beamwidth, tag orientation, reader power, and the installation environment also matter.