The High-Gain Antenna project in Arc Raiders demands three specific scavenged components: a Sturdy Base, a Data Logger, and a Parabolic Dish. Tracking down these parts interrupts your standard combat loop, forcing you into higher-risk zones for mediocre early-game returns. Here is exactly where to find them.
The High-Gain Antenna is a low-priority early side project
Arc Raiders pushes you to scavenge constantly. Most of that loot feeds immediate survival—ammo, medkits, weapon mods. The High-Gain Antenna sits in a separate project queue, acting as a long-term base upgrade rather than a combat necessity.
Think of it as a signal booster. It expands your passive radar range when mounted at your shelter. The problem? The crafting cost doesn't match the payoff during your first ten hours. You will likely finish it after you already know the map.
Why does the Antenna feel underwhelming at first?
Expanded radar sounds invaluable. In practice, Arc Raiders relies on visual threat cues and sound design more than minimap pings. The Antenna shaves a few seconds off enemy detection at long range. That margin rarely saves your life when Arc drones drop from the cloud layer without warning.
Build it anyway. The late-game shift toward coordinated sector defense makes passive intel slightly more relevant.
Sturdy Base locations and farming routes
The first material is the heaviest. The Sturdy Base is a dense metal platform originally used for industrial satellite mounts. You cannot carry more than one at a time without severely penalizing your stamina regeneration.
- Weight class: Heavy. Equipping it removes your sprint capability.
- Zone preference: Abandoned industrial sectors and rooftop relay stations.
- Drop source: Dismantling pre-war communication towers.
Most players stumble across their first base while clearing main path objectives. Look for collapsed radio towers. The base structure usually survives intact underneath the fallen gantry.
Can you craft a Sturdy Base from raw scrap?
No. The project requires a pristine, pre-fab base. Smelting down generic metal plates will not work. This is a common early frustration point. You have to extract the whole unit using the winch tool, which makes noise and attracts nearby scavengers.
Expect a fight on extraction. Bring suppression gear.
Data Logger extraction requires stealth or speed
The Data Logger is a compact, encrypted storage drive. It stores pre-war broadcast frequencies. Unlike the base, this item fits in your standard inventory. However, it only spawns inside active Arc patrol outposts.
Entering these zones triggers alarm states if you break line-of-sight with their scan drones. You have two viable approaches.
- Stealth: EMP grenades disable the scan drone for twelve seconds. Enough to grab the logger and vault the perimeter fence.
- Speed: Ram a light vehicle through the outpost gate, jump out, grab the logger, and flee. High damage risk, low time investment.
I recommend stealth. Repairing a trashed vehicle costs more resources than the Data Logger is worth early on.
Which outpost has the highest Data Logger spawn rate?
Spawn tables rotate on a daily reset. However, the coastal relay station southeast of the starting shoreline has a consistent 40% chance to spawn a logger in its central terminal. Mark that outpost on your map and check it first every session until it drops.
Parabolic Dish placement is the main bottleneck
The Parabolic Dish is the final component. It is also the most frustrating to transport. The dish is wide, awkward, and highly visible. Carrying it on your back protrudes above most waist-high cover.
Transport rule number one: do not walk through open fields with the dish equipped. Arc snipers prioritize large silhouettes, and the dish turns you into a beacon.
Dishes spawn on the upper floors of collapsed corporate headquarters. You need a grapple hook to reach most of them. If you don't have the grapple unlocked yet, this project is effectively gated behind your main progression.
What happens if you drop the Parabolic Dish during combat?
It survives. Unlike fragile electronics, the dish is solid metal. You can drop it, fight, and pick it up afterward. The risk isn't breakage—it's losing track of it. If you flee too far, the dish resets to its original spawn point. Mark your drop location with a flare before engaging enemies.
Completion rewards and shelter integration
Once you slot all three parts into the project terminal at your shelter, the High-Gain Antenna assembles automatically over a short timer. You do not need to manually position it.
The direct rewards are modest.
- Radar range: Increases threat detection radius by 15%.
- Signal clarity: Unlocks encrypted radio channels from friendly NPC factions.
- Shelter reputation: Grants a minor standing boost with the Engineer faction.
The real value is the encrypted channels. These channels hint at unmarked world events and hidden supply caches. They don't provide waypoints, but they give you vague coordinates to investigate.
Does the Antenna affect co-op squad radar?
Only the host's antenna applies to the squad. If you join another player's game, your shelter upgrades—including the Antenna—do not carry over. This is a consistent complaint in the community, as Arc Raiders doesn't clearly communicate this limitation upfront.
Beginner execution checklist
Don't chase this project linearly. Pick up components as you pass their zones during normal missions. If you want to force completion, follow this order to minimize wasted time.
- Unlock the grapple hook. No point hunting the dish without it.
- Check the coastal relay station for the Data Logger during a low-threat pass.
- Loot the Sturdy Base from any collapsed tower near your main travel routes.
- Grab the Parabolic Dish last. Extract it during a dedicated run with minimal other loot weighing you down.
- Return to shelter. Deposit all three parts to trigger assembly.
Attempting all three in a single run usually ends in a wasted death. The carry penalties stack, and the extraction points are spread across different map quadrants.
Common mistakes that waste your time
The project description in the menu is vague. It tells you what you need, not how the items behave. A few dirty details the game doesn't explain.
- Base weight stacking: Picking up the base while holding other heavy gear can bug your stamina bar, locking it at zero until you drop everything and rest.
- Logger despawn: If an Arc patrol destroys the terminal holding the logger before you extract it, the item vanishes for that daily cycle.
- Dish grapple failure: Shooting your grapple at the dish itself doesn't work. You must grapple the building structure, then manually pick up the dish from the floor.
These aren't bugs. They are rigid mechanics that punish assumptions. Test your interactions on low-stakes targets before committing to a dangerous extraction.
When does this project actually matter?
Mid-to-late game. Once you establish a secondary shelter deeper in the Arc-controlled zones, radar range becomes a quality-of-life staple. Early shelters sit in relatively safe perimeters where threats announce themselves loudly.
The encrypted radio channels also scale in value. Late-game caches contain rare weapon mods and faction-specific cosmetics you cannot buy. The Antenna is your indirect key to that loot tier.
Treat it as a background task. Finish it when the map pushes you toward the dish spawn zones naturally.
Can you dismantle the Antenna after building it?
Yes. Dismantling returns two of the three components—the Data Logger and Parabolic Dish. The Sturdy Base is consumed permanently. This lets you relocate the Antenna to a new shelter without fully re-farming the project, which is a small mercy given the transport headaches.
