AllDisc - a new 4G/LTE low profile dome antenna - now available

A new product from Smarteq is now in stock at Specialist Antennas in the UK - the AllDisc antenna is a low profile dome antenna designed for permanent outdoor deployment making it ideal for vending, telemetry, metering, CCTV and other wireless applications looking to make use of 4G connnections.

AllDisc Low Profile 4G/LTE Dome Antenna

With high gain figures (when mounted onto a groundplane), the AllDisc offers installers unrivalled performance from a dome-style antenna whilst retaining discreet aesthetics and a rugged/robust build quality. With peak gain ranging from 3.5 dBi to 5 dBi on a groundplane, or 1-4.5 dBi when mounted on a non-metal surface, the AllDisc enables superior signal strength at the modem, terminal or router faciliating higher rates and download speeds.

For more information on the AllDisc and for availability, please contact Specialist Antennas. The AllDisc will be available via the Connex webshop by the end of November 2015.

New MIMO dual polarised 4G/LTE antenna for DAS deployments

The PIM160-ICM is a 4G/LTE MIMO, low PIM antenna with dual polarisation designed primarily for Inbuilding DAS (Distributed Antenna System) deployments.

PIM160-ICM MIMO DAS Antenna

The PIM160-ICM is a discreet,ceiling-mount solution and very low profile for a dual polarised antenna. With exceptional PIM ratings, this antenna is an ideal solution when optimising 4G coverage in complex indoor spaces.

Supplied with a single stud for mounting and 2 plenum-rated, flame retardent cables, the PIM160-ICM offers excellent VSWR figures combined with multiband coverage.

This antenna is now available from Specialist Antennas - please contact us at sales@ead-ltd.com for more details.

EAD offers a new low loss cable RF240

EAD is pleased to offer a new low loss, but flexible coaxial cable ideal for cable runs up to 15M up to 2.7 GHz.

RF240 Low Loss Coaxial Cable

With an overall sheath diameter of 6.10mm, the RF240 cable is still flexible, but offers excellent performance in a cost-effective package.

The typical attenuation figures are as follows:

100 MHz - 7.8 dB/100M
400 MHz - 16.2 dB/100M
600 MHz  - 20.0 dB/100M
1000 MHz - 26.0 dB/100M
1750 MHz - 36.0 dB/100M
2400 MHz  - 43.1 dB/100M

The means that the RF240 cable fits neatly in-between the ever popular BWL195 cable and the lower loss, but thicker BWL400 cable.

RF240 cable and connectors are in stock now. Please contact us for pricing and availability.

New flexible 169 MHz whip antenna from EAD

A new 169 MHz flexible whip antenna has been introduced by EAD to address applications using the EU licence-free 169 MHz frequency band.

The SRW169 is a robust and flexible 1/4 wave antenna terminated in a SMA-Male connector and is designed for mounting directly onto 169 MHz devices.

SRW169 1/4 Wave Whip Antenna

The SRW169 complements the existing 1/4 wave helical from EAD - the H169-SMA - and facilitates choices in the types of 169 MHz antennas used for metering and associated applications.

For more information, please contact EAD.

PCTEL's flexible 802.11n MIMO dual band sector antenna

An interesting antenna for 802.11n applications is the PCTEL Venu dual band MIMO sector antenna. Housed in an aesthetically-pleasing, low profile enclosure, this antenna can be used with a single access point to provide full dual-band MIMO 802.11a/b/g/n coverage.

Venu Antenna - FPMI2458 low profile directional

The elements can also be used individually or in combination to provide diversity/non-diversity
coverage with legacy 802.11a/b/g/n access points.

The electrical specifcations for this antenna are as follows:

The FPMI antennas measure a discreet 200x200x34mm and weight 450gr. They are primarily designed for wall-mounting with adjustable mounting brackets sold separately.

For more information on these antennas and other 802.11n MIMO dual band antennas from PCTEL, please contact Specialist Antennas.

New Pentaband and LTE/4G articulating captive mount antennas

EAD is pleased to introduce two new multi-position captive stud mount antennas, the PTF2100 and the LTF7270. Based on our successful PTR2100 and WTR7270 antennas respectively, both antennas offer a terminal mount antenna solution without the need to use a bulkhead (or panelmount) SMA connector on the enclosure.

PTF2100/LTF7270 terminal antenna

Both antennas have an articulating base that locks in 3 positions, vertical, horizontal and at 45 degrees. The antennas mount by way of a threaded stud and are held in place by a locking nut. Through the middle of the stud a coaxial cable feeds the antennas via a IPEX (U.FL compatible) connector.

The PTF2100 and the LTF7270 are ideal for 3G/GSM and 4G/LTE Multiaband terminals/routers respectively where the radio modules have on board connectors and for applications where users should be discouraged from removing the antenna from the terminal.  For more information on both antennas, please contact us.

1/2 Wave 868 MHz and 915 MHz Multi-position terminal antennas

EAD's BKR868 and BKR915 are half-wave terminal, single band antennas operating at 868 MHz and 915 MHz respectively. As standard the BKR868 has a SMA-Male connector and the BKR915 has a RP-SMA plug connector, but both antennas can be fixed a vertical or horiztonal position or at 45 degrees.

BKR868 / BKR915 1/2 Wave ISM band antennas

Offering approximately 2 dBi gain on each band, the BKR868 and BKR915 are designed for use where a groundplane for an antenna is unavailable and antenna performance is required.

The BKR868 and BKR915 antennas are ideal for long range ISM frequency band terminals in such applications as telemetry, monitoring, RFID, tracking and security amongst many other types of deployment.

EAD has a range of 868 MHz and 915 MHz antennas - please contact us for more details at sales@ead-ltd.com

To help you identify the connectors if you are unsure about SMA and RP-SMA. We have posted images of SMA and RP-SMA below. SMA typically has a thread on the inside of the barrel and has a pin in the middle. RP-SMA also has a thread inside the barrel but no pin.

A generic SMA Male connector (similar to the connector on the BKR868) looks like this:

Typical SMA-Male Plug connector

A generic RP-SMA plug connector (similar to the connector on the BKR915) looks like this:

Typical RP-SMA plug connector

You can purchase various SMA-Female / RP-SMA Female jack adapter cables to mate to the BKR antennas via the Connex webshop.

New European distribution agreement with Venti Group for MIMO DAS antenna

The Venti Group has partnered with EAD/Specialist Antenna Solutions, a leading distributor of antenna solutions and associated products, to distribute its New Dual Polarized Low PIM Rated Indoor Venti DAS MIMO Antenna For LTE exclusively in Europe.

The Venti DAS MIMO antenna is a dual polarised, 4G/LTE and Mulitband indoor MIMO omni antenna designed for in-building and indoor wireless coverage solutions

Venti DAS MIMO Antenna

DAS MIMO Datasheet here.

The Venti™ DAS MIMO Antenna delivers unparalleled performance by utilizing true polarization diversity and a Low PIM Rating of -153 dBc across all frequency bands. The Venti™ DAS MIMO Antenna leverages several of our patented technologies including the Venti™ Horizontally Polarized Antenna, the Venti™ Sleeve, and Venti™ PIMconnect resulting in unmatched performance and an industry best PIM rating. Better Connectivity, Better Coverage, Better Throughput

Venti DAS MIMO antennas are now in stock in the UK.

Signal failure? The dynamics of getting reception indoors

A familiar problem of modern connected society the world over is "signal failure" i.e. reception issues when trying to connect to wireless services, be they 4G, 3G, cellular or WiFi networks or indeed even GNSS (GPS / GLONASS etc.) services.

Modern building construction techniques, especially in new commercial/industrial builds, often use materials for cladding, insulation etc. that have RF reflective properties which can inhibit the penetration of public wireless services into areas where is network connectivity is required.

Aside from commercial buildings, the "signal failure" phenomenon can also be found in holiday cottages and cabins, home offices, old buildings with thick walls, narrow boats, site offices (often metal containers) as well as automated installations using wireless services such a vending, CCTV, security systems and metering to name but a few.

Network operators, as part of acquiring their licences from national governments, have more often than not committed to defined network coverage levels. However, even if these coverage commitments are calculated by a percentage of the population rather than a geographic area, there remains a significant number of environments where the signal is not sufficient for a reliable wireless communications. In percentage terms of the population this may seem like a low number, but when mobile phone penetration is at saturation point i.e. nearly everyone in the country has a mobile phone (without taking into consideration if they also have a data device (tablet, blackberry, netbook etc.) that small percentage of "signal failure" cases is actually a large absolute number. Add to that the number of data installations using cellular networks (known as M2M or machine to machine) and you realise that absence of reliable network signal is an all too common problem.

There are number of ways to address the symptoms of "signal failure". In the very worst case the user or device maybe so remote the only way to connect to a network may be via a satellite service. This is can be very costly, especially if you have a high volume of calls or a large amount of data traffic. That scenario aside, there are typically three ways to bring about reliable communications to these areas of weak coverage.

One method is to deploy active signal repeaters. In simplified terms, these products use amplifiers to boost signals into a space that was previously without coverage. A donor antenna antenna outside the building is connected to the repeater via low loss RF cable and the repeater then amplifies the signal. From the repeater, the signal is re-broadcast via a client antenna located in the space that requires coverage. This princpal is the same for professional distributed antenna systems (DAS) that facilitate coverage into public spaces, buildings, hotels, stadiums etc. The advantages of repeaters is that they really re-broadcast functionality so wireless users remain so and can move around the coverage space without wires or constraints. The disadvantages are that repeaters can be expensive and maybe hard to justify for home, leisure or small office installations as well as prohibitive for M2M applications. In addition, in many countries it is still illegal to use cellular repeaters unless you have explicit permission from the network operator(s).
 
Connecting a quality high gain external antenna and connecting it to the device is a more cost-effective approach. The external antenna is mounted outside (the same way a donor antenna is deployed for a repeater) and via a low loss RF cable it is directly connected to the wireless device. This works very well when the device has a dedicated antenna port - many 4G and 3G routers, modems and gateways do. This method is really suitable for data applications where the device or terminal can be fixed in one place and connected to the external antenna. Often the 4G/3G router or terminal will also offer WiFi  capability so the cellular network services can be accessed via local WiFi (unfortunately this doesn't help mobile phone or Smartphone users making calls). The high gain antenna approach works well in terms of price performance for M2M applications and it has been known to run over 50M of low loss cable from the donor antenna to the M2M device underground (think parking garage, pumping station etc.) and still effect a reliable service to the device.

For Smartphone and mobile phone users wanting to make calls and not wanting to invest in repeater technology, then things get a little more complicated! As most mobile phones and Smartphones nowadays do not have an external antenna port, it is not possible to connect a high gain donor antenna directly into a connector on the phone. A way to overcome this is to use a signal docking station or a antenna coupler. Both products use the same principal to "connect" with the antenna in your phone and route the signal via an external donor antenna. Couplers are generally more fiddly and are designed to wrap around the phone, a signal docking station typically offers a cradle pad for the phone (or indeed 2 phones) to sit on. The docking station or coupler is then connected to the external antenna located outside.  In both cases, it is advisable to use the phone's handsfree functionality or a bluetooth headset to make calls because as soon as you remove the phone from the cradle or the coupler, you are removing the connection to the high gain antenna.

For those of you that need coverage, but have decided that you do not want to deploy any of the above, you could always wait for the network operators to improve their network coverage, but the bottom line is that there are always going to be many locations, most of them indoors where users reside, where network connectivity is not possible due to very weak signal or no signal at all.

SignalDock - a handsfree signal enhancement solution for Smartphone users

Network coverage data from mobile operators typically shows that the vast majority of the population is covered by a least one mobile network. However, this often doesn't tell the whole story as in many cases Smartphone users are not receiving a viable signal (a signal stable enough to receive calls, texts or mobile data) indoors. This is often down to environmental conditions such as the materials used to build the house, the wall-thickness and on occasion the location of the nearest tower in relation to the property.

One solution is go with an active repeater where the signal is actively boosted by a powered amplifier and the network signal is re-radiated inside the building. However, in many countries including the UK the private use of active repeaters is prohibited by telecom regulating authorities (in the UK this is Ofcom), so this is not an legal option in you find yourself in such a territory.

Another solution if Smartphone manufacturers were to offer an extenal antenna connector on the back of the SmartPhone would be to directly connect a high gain antenna to the back of the phone to facilitate signal. Unfortunately Smartphone vendors do not offer this.

A new solution from Connex Technologies can help though. By using the newly launched SignalDock, Smartphone users can connect up 1 or 2 SmartPhones to an external high gain 4G/3G/GSM antenna and have the device indoors with a usable signal - it must be stressed here that the phone has to sit on the Signal Dock cradle to work properly so using the a handsfree kit or bluetooth headset would be the best way to make calls.

The SignalDock is effectively a cradle with two recessed areas that can each accommodate a SmartPhone. The phones are placed on an anti-slip mat and the external antenna is connected via connector on the underside of the SignalDock.

SignalDock - Connex's handsfree signal solution

A number of antenna options can be used - typically Connex recommends a high gain Omni-directional (radiates in every direction) antenna or a high gain directional antenna (radiates in one direction similar to a TV antenna). Once the external antenna is correctly positioned outside the building and connected to the SignalDock, the SmartPhones can be placed on the anti-slip mat and be operation.

The SignalDock solution is ideal for leisure and business use including narrowboats, holiday cabins and cottages, site offices, home office where being connected to receive calls, texts and e-mails is important without constantly having to run outside to communicate.

To purchase the SignalDock, please visit the Connex website at www.connextech.co.uk

New Venti Dual Pol MIMO very low PIM 4G antenna now available.

Specialist Antennas partner company,Venti, has introduced a Dual-Pol, Low PIM Rated (160dBc), In-building MIMO DAS antenna to the European marketplace. The Venti™ DAS antenna employes a number of Venti patented technologies including the Venti™ Horizontally polarized antenna, the Venti™ sleeve, and Venti™ PIMconnect. These technologies combined have made the Venti™ DAS antenna unrivalled in terms of PIM rating and performance.

Venti MIMO DAS Antenna

The Venti MIMO DAS antenna is now available from SAS. Please contact us for more information and pricing.

QHP1516 GPS/GLONASS passive stud mount antenna now available

EAD is pleased to announce that the new QHP1516 GPS/GLONASS passive stud mount quadrifilar antenna is now available. Feed by either a SMA or U.FL pigtail cable, the QHP1516 offers a discreet solution for fixed and mobile GNSS terminals.

QHP1516 passive quadrifilar GPS/GLONASS antenna

For more information and pricing, please contact EAD.

Improved outdoor wall-mount antenna for 4G / LTE applications

The LCO7270 wall-mount omni antenna has been enhanced with an improved, lower profile L-bracket and can now be bundled with RF240 low loss cable to minimise attentuation across the jumper cables.

LCO7270 wall-mount omni antenna

Offering 2-3 dBi gain across the bands, the LCO7270-WMB is a compact, outdoor omni antenna enhanced with a new zinc plated finish steel bracket. Coupled with the RF240 low loss cable, the antenna/cable bundle an effective and discreet solution for wall (and pole-) mounted antenna applications such as metering, wireless CCTV, security and access.

The LCO7270-WB is available now. Please contact EAD for more information. The LCO7270-WMB-5M240-SM (with 5M RF240 cable and SMA-male) can also be purchased from the Connex webshop.

New high performance 4G / LTE puck antenna is a HOT product!

Introducing the newest HOT release from Smarteq (the manufacturer behind the market-leading SmartDisc antenna), the AllDisc antenna - a 4G / LTE puck antenna designed for continuous outdoor use. With excellent gain figures when mounted onto a groundplane (metal surface), the AllDisc is ideal for mobile applications such as transportation, inland waterways, telematics as well as fixed deployments such as metering, wireless CCTV and security.

AllDisc 4G / LTE multiband low profile antenna

This antenna will be available during Q2 2015. For more information, please contact Specialist Antennas.

EAD/Specialist Antennas is hiring.....

Embedded Antenna Design Ltd incorporating Specialist Antennas is a leading vendor of antenna products, RF cables and accessories for wireless applications. With a quality product portfolio addressing frequencies from 100 MHz to 6 GHz across applications including 4G, GPS, GNSS, TETRA, VHF and UHF and vertical markets such as telematics, telemetry, security, access, defence and energy, we are experiencing unprecendented growth. To augment our current team and help lead our growth, we are looking to appoint a Sales Manager.

Primarily focused on the UK market, the Sales Manager will:

Pro-actively identify and win new business
Provide pre- and post-sales advice to the customers
Make sales visits to customers to build relationships
Use our in-house CRM software to record all activity
Develop new vertical markets to promote new products
Meet sales targets

We anticipate the Sales Manager will possess the following key skills:

Be a self-starter and work on own initiative
Have a strong understanding of RF principals
Possess excellent organisational skills
Have excellent communication skills - both verbally and writing
Possess the ability to work as part of a small team

The following skills would be advantageous:

Fluency in a second language
Prior experience with antennas, RF cabling or DAS systems
Technical or Sales experience of wireless networking

To apply for the position of Sales Manager, please send your CV to info@ead-ltd.com      

A new 4G/LTE Multiband MIMO puck antenna arrives

EAD is pleased to introduce the CMO antenna - a 4G /LTE multiband MIMO low profile puck antenna ideally suited for telematics, fleet, telemetry, security and CCTV applications. Housed in a durable, compact radome, the CMO antenna has two 4G/LTE multiband elements operating from 690-2700 MHz.

CMO 4G/LTE Multiband MIMO puck antenna

The CMO antenna mounts by way of threaded stud with a locking nut that tightens from underneath. A gasket underneath the antenna provides a watertight seal when the antenna is mounted securely.

Each antenna element is fed by flexible coaxial cable and is terminated with a SMA connector. TS9, CRC9 or other coaxial connectors are available.

For pricing please contact EAD or your local EAD distributor.

EAD is pleased to announce that the QHP1516 GPS/GLONASS passive through-hole mount antenna will be available during Q2 2015. The QHP1516 is a compact, quadrifilar, circularly polarised GPS/GLONASS antenna encapsulated in a robust housing with a threaded stud for mounting.

QHP1516 GPS/GLONASS Passive Antenna

The antenna is fed by a pigtail with either U.FL or SMA as standard options. Other connectors will be available on request.

For more information, please contact EAD.

New 868 MHz and 915 MHz 1/2 Wave Terminal omni antennas

EAD has introduced two new ISM-band omni antennas for 868 MHz and 915 MHz. The BKR868 and BKR915 are 1/2 wave, groundplane independent antennas designed for terminal mount via a multi-position SMA or  RP-SMA connector respectively.

BKR868 1/2 Wave Dipole Antenna

 With an overall length of approximately 220mm and a gain of 2 dBi, the BKR868 and BKR915
are handy solutions for ISM frequency band applications where there is no groundplane available for a 1/4 wave antenna or where a little more performance from the antenna is required.

Both antennas are shipping with immediate effect.

New 4G MIMO, GPS and dual-band WiFi magnetic mount antenna

The GPSHPDLTEMIMO-SF-MM from PCTEL is a 4G/LTE Multiband MIMO + GPS + Dual-Band WiFi heavy-duty magnetic mount antenna designed for professional telematics applications.

GPSHPDLTEMIMO magnetic mount antenna

Housed in an IP67 compliant radome, the GPSHPDLTEMIMO magnetic antenna is ideal for temporary vehicle, fleet and transit applications where 4G diversity combined with GPS positioning and WiFi connectivity is required. With high pull strength magnets in the base of the antenna, the GPSHPDLTEMIMO antenna is designed for applications where the antenna must be able to be mounted and "de-mounted" without damage to the vehicle.

For availability and pricing, please contact Specialist Antennas.

New 4G/LTE MIMO low PIM antenna with true horizontal & vertical polarization for in-building DAS

Specialist Antennas is pleased to introduce a new 4G/LTE/Multiband MIMO ceiling mount antenna, the MDO7270 incorporating Venti technology,  with true horizontal and vertical polarisation designed for Inbuilding DAS (distributed antenna system) deployments.

With a consistant reliable PIM rating of 160 dBc or better coupled with dual polarisation, the DAS MIMO Venti antenna is compact and aesthetically discreet whilst offering unrivalled peformance for indoor 4G/LTE networks.

MDO7270 Low PIM Dual Polarized MIMO antenna

Stringent PIM specifications are crucial in minimizing interference, which has a detrimental effect on data, video and voices performance, and can hinder the capacity of the network. The MDO7270 antenna has effectively addressed the PIM requirements of in-building systems designers and offers a unique solution to indoor antenna deployment, improving in-building coverage and facilitating improved download speeds.

For more information on the MDO7270 antenna, please contact Specialist Antennas on 01280 824055 or send an e-mail to sales@specialistantennas.co.uk.

MIMO low profile puck antena for 4G/LTE multiband applications

An innovative antenna for 4G/LTE multiband applications has been announced by EAD. The CMO is a low profile, puck antenna with two 4G multiband omni-directional elements support a frequency band range from 690-2700 MHz i.e. covering 4G, LTE, 3G, GSM and cellular bands.

CMO 4G/LTE Multiband MIMO antenna

The CMO is a permanent, screw mount antenna and each radiating element is feed by one cable enabling connection to the latest generation of 4G and LTE routers, gateways and terminals that connect via two antenna ports in order to maximize throughput and download speed. When mounted securely on a flat surface, the CMO antenna offers watertight installation and is suitable for fixed and moible applications in both indoor and continuous outdoor environments.

For more information, please contact EAD.

FP2458-DP3X3 New 6 port Directional MIMO panel antenna for high capacity WiFi applications

PCTEL has introduced the FP2458-DP3X3 antenna, a 6 port MIMO 2.4/5 GHz directional panel antenna designed for indoor and outdoor high capacity 802.11n multiband wireless LAN acces point applications.

With gain characteristics and the beamwidth optimized for maximum coverage, the FP2458-DP3X3 provides spatial and diversity coverage across 2.4-2.5 GHz and 5.1 to 5.9 GHz for high capacity areas or events such as stadiums, exhibition halls either in-building or outdoors.

For information and pricing, please contact Specialist Antennas.

Complementary products available include weatherproof access point enclosures and low loss cabling. Please contact us for further details.

HGO-4G antenna now covers all Euro 4G, 3G and GSM bands.

The new HGO-4G antenna from Sirio now covers all Euro 4G / LTE, 3G and GSM bands. In the same form factor as the previous HGO-4G version, support for the 800 MHz band has now been added.

HGO-4G Antenna

The HGO-4G is an outdoor high gain 4G/Multiband Omni antenna now operating in the frequency bands from 800 MHz to 2700 MHz with gain figures across the bands of 5-6 dBi. Supplied on a wall-mount/pole-mount bracket, the HGO-4G is designed for continuous outdoor use making it ideal for broadband access, security and CCTV applications amongst many others.

The HGO-4G is now in stock. Please contact us or your local dealer for pricing. The antenna is also available for purchase via the Connex webshop.