Cellular Antennas

- Cell Phone Antenna Links

Antennas are a key technology in a cellular phone system or any other wireless system. In wireless systems, antennas convert the energy of guided radio waves (such as the signal transmitted in a television coaxial cable) into energy that is emitted, or "radiated," into free space. An antenna also does the opposite -- it picks up radio waves from the air and feeds them into a device that detects, decodes, and amplifies them. In a cell phone system, there is one antenna in the cell phone and another antenna in the cell tower. Both antennas transmit and receive radio waves.

Base station antennas are long, narrow rectangular devices, usually in groups of three, that are mounted high on a base station tower. Base stations can be thought of as "command centers" that send and receive signals to consumers' cell phones. The base station performs a "router" function to properly direct incoming and outgoing calls, and a "repeater" function to enable consumers to communicate from one cell to another in the terrestrial cellular network. Base station antennas are mounted on high towers because from this high point it is easier to stay in touch with cell phone users, who are usually close to the ground.

- Base Station Antenna

In the wireless world, spectrum is the new currency. Maximizing the value per megahertz starts with your base station antenna. The right choice can help you increase spectral efficiency, accelerate deployment, reduce overall costs, and even help save our planet.

Base station antennas are fundamental components in wireless communication networks. These antennas are tower-mounted base stations that provide cellular connectivity to users. These antennas are used to cover a single frequency band or multiple frequency bands. 

Multiband base station antennas often have multiple antennas within a single radome - in this case, each antenna has a separate port that can be connected to a different base station or to a different part of a single base station. 

Base stations are typically installed above the ground, with heights that vary depending on the surrounding environment. They are the primary communication point for one or more wireless mobile client devices. A base station can consist of one or more RF antennas that transmit and/or receive radio signals.

Important parameters of base station antenna:

• Frequency Bands: These are the operating frequency ranges within which the base station antenna can operate. Base station antennas can operate on a single band or have multi-band support, depending on the application.
• Gain (dBi): Gain is a measure of the degree of directivity of an antenna's radiation pattern.
• Radiation Diagram: A radiation diagram is a representation of the distribution of radiant energy on a horizontal plane.
• Polarization: The polarization of an antenna refers to the direction of the electric field of the radio waves it emits. Base station antenna polarization can be linear, circular, dual tilt (±45 degrees), etc.
• Beamwidth: Beamwidth is the angle at which the antenna radiates most of its power. It can be measured in the horizontal (azimuth) or vertical (elevation) plane and is expressed in degrees (°).
• Remote Electrical Tilt (RET): It is the ability of an antenna to remotely change its direction to modify the direction of radiation. RET is used to create a greater beam tilt in one direction than the other, mainly to accommodate unusual terrain. Click here to learn more about remote electric tilt.

As mobile systems migrate from one generation to the next and the demands on antennas increase, the technology associated with cellular base station antennas becomes more complex.

[More to come ...]