user13674: I'm doing a project on the arduino with simple 433MHz antenna modules. And I was wondering if someone could offer clarifications on how receivers work. 
I read that high gain receivers can pick up a very narrow beam of radio power and thus, can transfer data at high rates. Given that this signal is tightly focused to the transmitting end. 
And a low gain receiver can pick up a much wider beam of radio power.
My question is the following. When they say "narrower beam" does that represent the amplitude of the signal or the number of different waves that are being transmitted? OR does it refer to the number of DIFFERENT frequencies it can pick up? Sorry, if my question is confusing. Happy to clarify any part of it. 
My Source: http://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/communications/2-what-are-high-and-low-gain.html

user4143: Think of the receiver as a camera with a telephoto lens.
With the lens zoomed out you can see a large area.  You get visual information from all over.
With the lens zoomed in you can only see a very small area. The visual information you receive is only from a very small field of vision and things outside that field never get to you.
It's exactly the same with radio waves except that the shape of the antenna affects the zoom instead of lenses.

13674: <p>I'm doing a project on the arduino with simple 433MHz antenna modules. And I was wondering if someone could offer clarifications on how receivers work. </p>

<p>I read that high gain receivers can pick up a very narrow beam of radio power and thus, can transfer data at high rates. Given that this signal is tightly focused to the transmitting end. </p>

<p>And a low gain receiver can pick up a much wider beam of radio power.</p>

<p>My question is the following. When they say "narrower beam" does that represent the amplitude of the signal or the number of different waves that are being transmitted? OR does it refer to the number of DIFFERENT frequencies it can pick up? Sorry, if my question is confusing. Happy to clarify any part of it. </p>

<p>My Source: <a href="http://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/communications/2-what-are-high-and-low-gain.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/communications/2-what-are-high-and-low-gain.html</a></p>
 4143: <p>Think of the receiver as a camera with a telephoto lens.</p>

<p>With the lens zoomed out you can see a large area.  You get visual information from all over.</p>

<p>With the lens zoomed in you can only see a very small area. The visual information you receive is only from a very small <em>field of vision</em> and things outside that field never get to you.</p>

<p>It's exactly the same with radio waves except that the shape of the antenna affects the zoom instead of lenses.</p>
