There are a multitude of factors to consider when sourcing a commercial antenna. Firstly and most importantly is the frequency band. If the antenna is not working efficiently at the desired frequency then much of the transmitted signal will be reflected back from the antenna, rather than radiated from it. This reflected power, not only is wasted energy, but potentially can cause damage to the transmitter. Likewise, in the receive path, a poorly matched antenna will not pass signals efficiently to the receiver, thus degrading system performance.