U.FL/IPEX to N-Female Pigtail Cable — RG178 LoRa Antenna Pigtail for Heltec, WisBlock & MeshCore Builds

The missing link between your dev board and a proper outdoor antenna. This U.FL (IPEX/MHF1) to N-Female pigtail cable connects any LoRa board with an IPEX antenna connector — like the Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V3/V4, Wireless Tracker V2, WisBlock starter kits, and Seeed XIAO boards — to N-type antennas, mounting hardware, and outdoor enclosures.

If you're building a solar Meshtastic or MeshCore node, mounting a board inside a weatherproof enclosure, or connecting to a McGill outdoor antenna, this is the cable you need.

Key Features

• U.FL (IPEX/MHF1) male connector — snaps onto the IPEX socket on Heltec, WisBlock, Seeed XIAO, RAK4631, and most LoRa development boards
• N-Female bulkhead connector — with O-ring seal and locking nut. Mounts directly through enclosure walls (IP66/IP67 compatible) for a clean, professional finish
• RG178 coaxial cable — flexible, thin (1.83 mm diameter), and low-loss for short interconnect runs at 868 MHz
• 20 cm length — the right length for routing inside a typical enclosure without excess slack
• 50Ω impedance — matches all standard LoRa radio modules and antennas
• Frequency range: DC – 6 GHz (perfect for 868 MHz EU868 LoRa)

What This Cable Lets You Do

Most LoRa development boards ship with a small stock antenna that screws directly onto the IPEX connector. That works for testing — but for any serious build, you want:

• An external antenna — either a flexible whip on the outside of an enclosure, or a proper outdoor antenna on a pole
• A weatherproof mount — by passing the antenna connection through the enclosure wall with a sealed N-Female bulkhead
• A larger tuned antenna — like the McGill 3, 6, or 9 dBi outdoor antennas (all with N-Female connectors)

This pigtail makes all three possible. Connect the U.FL side to your board, route the cable through your enclosure, screw the N-Female bulkhead into the wall, and connect your external antenna outside.

Compatible Boards

If your device has an SMA or RP-SMA connector (like the WisMesh Pocket V2 or Repeater Mini), you don't need this pigtail — you can connect antennas directly or via an adapter.

What You Can Connect On the Other Side

Anything with an N-Male connector, including:

• Meshtastic/LoRa Antenna 2.6 dBi (€9.95) — compact tuned upgrade antenna
• McGill 3 dBi outdoor antenna (€53.40)
• McGill 6 dBi outdoor antenna (€65.28)
• McGill 9 dBi outdoor antenna (€99.95)
• Any LMR-400 cable with N-Male connector for long outdoor runs

Specs

• Connectors: U.FL (IPEX/MHF1) male × N-Female bulkhead
• Cable type: RG178 coaxial
• Cable diameter: 1.83 mm
• Length: 20 cm
• Impedance: 50Ω
• Frequency range: DC – 6 GHz
• Bulkhead seal: O-ring + locking nut (IP66/IP67 compatible when properly mounted)
• Insulation: PTFE

Pair It With

• Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V4 — pair with this pigtail and a proper outdoor antenna for a high-power solar repeater build
• McGill 6 dBi outdoor antenna — the most popular outdoor antenna in our range
• Weather Sealing Tape (€7.49) — seal the antenna-side connector for outdoor installations

Building a solar repeater? Read our Complete Solar Meshtastic Repeater Guide.