New SMP-4G-LTE compact directional panel antenna

Introducing the upgraded SMP directional panel antenna from Sirio. The SMP-4G-LTE is a compact, directional panel antenna suitable for wall or pole-mounting. It offers 6 dBi gain on the lower bands and 9 dBi gain on the higher bands and housed in a robust, weatherproof radome. The antenna is terminated in a 30cm pigtail and SMA-Male connectors and can mate to our RF240 low loss cables. For custom RF240 cable quotes - we can customise cable length and connector type to your specification, please e-mail sales@ead-ltd.com.

SMP-4G-LTE Directional panel antenna

 The SMP-4G-LTE is a single feed (SISO) antenna. A MIMO dual port SMP panel antenna is also available.

It can be purchased online at the Connex webshop along with a wide selection of 4G and LTE antennas.

Looking for LoRA or Sigfox 868 MHz or 915 MHz antenna solutions? The following list of innovative antennas might help.

The new SigFox and LoRA networks will operate in and around the 868 MHz and 915 MHz frequency bands. For these networks to operate effectively, an intelligent selection of antennas will be required to ensure that coverage is optimised.

We have listed here some interesting antenna solutions based on 868 MHz and 915 MHz that we have been working on, please feel free to contact us at sales@ead-ltd.com if you see something you like, or something similar to your requirements, but cannot see it as a released product on the EAD website.

Terminal or Enclosure-Mount Antennas

MW868

The MW868 is an 868 MHz 1/4 wave groundplane depdendent moulded whip antenna designed for small terminals and devices. Typically fed by a SMA-Male connector.

MW868 1/4 wave whip antenna

W915
The W915 is a 915 MHz  1/4 wave groundplane depdendent moulded whip antenna designed for small terminals and devices. Typically fed by a RP-SMA plug connector.

W915 1/4 wave whip antenna

HWD868
The HWD868 is an 868 MHz 1/2 wave groundplane independent moulded dipole antenna designed for non-metal terminals and devices. Typically fed by a SMA-Male connector.

HWD868 1/2 wave antenna

HWD915
The HWD915 is a 915 MHz 1/2 wave groundplane independent moulded dipole antenna designed for non-metal terminals and devices. Typically fed by a RP-SMA Plug connector.

HWD915 1/2 wave antenna

BKR868
The BKR868 is an 868 MHz 1/2 wave, groundplane independent moulded antenna with a multi-position SMA connector allowing the antenna to lock in three orientations.

BKR868 1/2 wave multi-position antenna

BKR915
The BKR915is an 915 MHz 1/2 wave, groundplane independent moulded antenna with a multi-position RP-SMA plug connector allowing the antenna to lock in three orientations.

BKR915 1/2 wave multi-position antenna

PTF868/PTF915
The PTF868 and the PTF915 antennas are 1/2 wave 868 and 915 MHz antenna respectively. They are both captive-mount antennas meaning that they held in place by a stud at the end of the antenna secured by a nut. The antennas are fed by a micro-coax cable with SMA or U.FL/IPEX connector. Ideal for offering a solution where removal of the antenna is discouraged.

PTF868/PTF915 1/2 wave captive antenna

WR868
The WR868 is a 1/4 wave stub antenna operating at 868 MHz. It can be supplied with a SMA or RP-SMA Right-Angle connector. A 915 MHz version is also possible.

WR868 1/4 wave stub antenna

WS868
The WS868 is a 1/4 wave stub antenna operating at 868 MHz. It can be supplied with a SMA or RP-SMA Straight connector. A 915 MHz version is also possible.

WS868 1/4 wave stub antenna

Outdoor Antennas

HGO-868-915
The HGO is an 868 MHz / 915 MHz high gain outdoor omni-directional antenna offering approximately 5 dBi. Supplied with 5M of cable as standard with a SMA-Male or RP-SMA connector, the HGO is unrivalled in terms of price/performance and ideal for areas where a high gain omni-directional antenna is required. This antenna can be wall or pole mounted.

HGO-868-915 high gain omni antenna

WCO-868-WMB / WCO-915-WMB
The WCO-868-WMB/WCO-915-WMB is a compact, wall-mount omni antenna operating at 868 or 915 MHz. Designed for continuous outdoor use, the antenna is mounted on a stainless steel bracket and offers approximately 2 dBi in the target frequency bands. It can be supplied with a variety of low loss RF coaxial cable as the application requires.

WCO-868-WMB/WCO-915-WMB compact wall-mount omni antenna

WCO-868-WMB-HIGAIN
The WCO-868-WMB-HIGAIN is a 868 MHz, wall-mount, omni-directional antenna based on the WCO antenna above, but with a reflector element to enhance the gain to approximately 5 dBi. This is a very compact and discreet antenna for continuous outdoor, but with superior gain performance. It can be supplied with a variety of low loss cables as required.

WCO-868-WMB-HIGAIN antenna

WCO-915-WMB-HIGAIN
The WCO-915-WMB-HIGAIN is a 915 MHz, wall-mount, omni-directional antenna based on the WCO antenna above, but with a reflector element to enhance the gain to approximately 5 dBi. This is a very compact and discreet antenna for continuous outdoor, but with superior gain performance. It can be supplied with a variety of low loss cables as required.

WCO-915-WMB-HIGAIN antenna

LPS868-NF
The LPS868 is an 868 MHz directional panel for wall-mount or pole mount applications. Offering more gain than a typical omni-directional antenna, the LPS868 is compact and robust and suitable for long term outdoor deployments.

LPS868 directional panel antenna

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.

EAD introduces a new 4G/LTE/Multiband Compact Outdoor Omni Antenna

EAD has introduced a new 4G/LTE/Multiband compact outdoor omni antenna. Covering the bands from 698-960/1710-2170/2500-2700 MHz, the LCO7270 antenna is a compact, discreet and robust omni antenna solution for continuous outdoor deployment. Ideal for systems such as mobile CCTV, security, broadband access and telemetry, the LCO270 antenna is available in a number of configurations to suit multiple applications.

LCO7270 Wall-Mount Antenna

With a consistent gain across the bands of 2-3 dBi, this antenna does not need a metal groundplane for optimal operations which is very useful for plastic or non-metal enclosures.

The LCO7270-WMB is a wall-mount version supplied on a stainless steel L-bracket. Terminated in a N-Female connector to accommodate a varierty of low loss jumper cable configurations, this solution is effective for mounting outdoors away from the router, terminal or radio.

A number of options are available for the connectorised version including N-Male, N-Female and TNC-Male. The N-Male and TNC-Male can be directly mounted to panel mount connectors on enclosures, cabinets etc. The N-Female connector is used as a through-hole (permanent-mount) with a nut and washer tightening from underneath to lock the antenna in place.

LCO7270 antenna - N-Female version

For more information, visit the EAD website or contact us at sales@ead-ltd.com.

What is Passive Intermodulation (PIM) and are there low PIM antennas for 4G in-building wireless networks?

In 4G/LTE, 3G and GSM networks, RF perfomance can be significantly affected by PIM (Passive Intermodulation) issues. In simple terms, PIM is a RF interference problem where 2 or high power signals mix across a passive component such as an antenna, connector, RF cable or duplexer. The presence of PIM in the transmission path may result in lower data throughputs, in calls being disconnected or dropped or limit the overall capacity/performance of the network.

Especially in new wireless in-building environments, we are seeing the advent of specific low PIM antennas which combat the problems of PIM and help to ensure that network performance is optimised.

The first low PIM 4G/Multiband antenna available through SAS in the UK is the Laird CMD69273P - a low PIM ceiling mount antenna covered worldwide 4G/cellular frequencies from 700-2700 MHz. Housed in a discrete radome, the CMD69273P is an effective performer for multi-band in-building deployments. Small quantities can be purchased via our webshop.

CMD69273P

For a directional 4G/Multiband MIMO antenna with low PIM capability, the Laird PAS69278P has been announced. It is a wide-band dual-port panel antenna with slant 45 polarization that covers the domestic LTE700/Cellular/PCS/AWS/MDS and global GSM900/GSM1800/UMTS/LTE2600 bands.

PAS69278P MIMO Low Pim Directional antenna

This directional antenna offers a minimum of 8 dBi gain on both antenna elements and is terminated in N-Female connectors.

PCTEL announces a number of in-building low PIM solutions pending.

PCTEL has also announced a number of new Low PIM antennas pending release so please contact us with your low PIM antenna requirements.

Weighing up antenna options for 915 MHz? Here are some considerations..

If you are designing or developing wireless applications using the 915 MHz ISM band, choosing the correct antenna for your application can be critical is ensuring your RF perforamnce is optimal. I thought it might be interesting for people working on 915 MHz (or the 900 MHz band more generally) projects, if I listed out a number of diverse external antenna products to aid the developer's understanding of available solutions on the market.

1/4 Wave Whip Antenna

A terminal-mount short 1/4 wave moulded whip antenna (requires a groundplane to mount on) with RP-SMA or SMA connectors typically (TNC, BNC are also possible). Suitable for fixed and portable terminals.

915 MHz Whip Antenna RP-SMA

 1/4 Wave Whip Antenna with Flying Lead

Similar to the antenna above, this 915 MHz 1/4 Wave whip antenna has stud at the bottom for permanent mounting and a RG174 flying lead to connect the antenna to terminal. This antenna can be used for both fixed and portable applications.

915 Mhz Whip with Flying Lead

Stub Antenna

A 1/4 wave helical stubby antenna with a sheath length of approximately 55mm. This is again suitable for fixed and portable applications. The connector at the bottom can be SMA or RP-SMA and either straight or right angle. This antenna should be mounted onto a groundplane.

915 MHz Stubby Antenna

Swivel Dipole Antenna

A 1/2 wave dipole antenna for 915 MHz with either SMA or RP-SMA. The antenna can lock in vertical or horiztonal positions or at 45 degrees if required.  This antenna is groundplane indepenent so can be mounted onto non-metal (i.e. ABC, PC etc.) terminals.

915 MHz Swivel Dipole

Waterproof Compact Omni Antenna

For outdoor applications, a compact waterproof 915 MHz omni antenna might be the solution. Where a robust, weatherpoof dipole-like antenna is required, this antenna is discrete yet durable and flexible to accomodate a range of applications.

915 MHz Waterproof Compact Omni Antennas

Available with a variety of connectors including SMA, RP-SMA, N-Type, TNC,  RP-TNC with straight and some right angle versions, these antennas a Flame retardent, UV-resistant sheath and there are versions at 915 MHz for mounting onto metal or non-metal surfaces. A through hole (stud mount) version is also available based on a N-Female Panel mount connector (with O-Ring for a watertight seal plus washer and nut for locking in place onto the enclosure.

Outdoor Wall-Mount Omni Antenna

For small, wall-mounted antennas, then the wall-mounted version of the above compact omni might be well worth taking a look at. This antenna is supplied with the flame retardent and UV-resistant sheath terminated in N-Female connector and mounted on a stainless steel bracket. Jumper cables can be specified to order depending on the grade of cable required for the length of cable run required - the jumper cable requires a N-Male Plug to connect to the antenna.

915 MHz Compact Wall-Mount Omni
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Directional Panel Antenna

A 10 dBi directional 915 MHz panel antenna for wall-mount and pole mount applications. Terminated in either a low loss cable or simply a N-Female connector, this antenna measures approximately 200x200x40mm and is housed in a weatherproof LURAN enclosure.

915 MHz Directional High Gain Panel Antenna
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These are standard off-the-shelf 915 MHz products. This listing is not exhaustive, but is designed to give you some food for thought. For further information and for other 915 MHz antenna requirements, please contact us at sales@ead-ltd.com.

Upgraded 4G/LTE Multiband MIMO panel antenna released

EAD is pleased to introduce an upgraded LPM8270 4G Multiband MIMO outdoor directional panel which is now shipping.

With a new, very durable Luran-based radome, the LPM8270 is even more robust than before whilst still offering exception RF performance from 790-2700 MHz. As standard, it is supplied with 2 x N-Female connector on the back of the panel. Jumper cables can be specified as required with the desired cable length and choice of connector.

LPM8270 4G/Multiband MIMO Panel Antenna

For more information, please contact us or purchase online at www.connextech.co.uk.

For dealer/trade inquiries, please contact us via e-mail at sales@ead-ltd.com.

Antenna options for ISM 433 MHz frequency band - a short guide

The ISM (industrial, scientific, medical) frequency band at 433 MHz is a popular frequency for control, telemetry and access applications. The choice of antenna types is not as great as at 2.4 GHz due to 433 MHz having a longer wavelength than 2.4 GHz, however in most cases there are enough off-the-shelf external antenna options available to address most customer requirements. We'll take a look a some of them here.

In terms of antenna connectors, we are going to assume for the benefit of this overview that the radios are fitted with SMA-Female Jack connectors. In practice, the connector may be different, RP-SMA or BNC or TNC for example.

433 MHz Whip antennas  - often a moulded 1/4 wave whip antenna. It offers more bandwidth than a stub or helical antenna and is often better suited to mobile applications because the inherent flexibility of the whip antenna (they can withstand knocks a bit better than rigid antennas). A typical 433 MHz whip antenna will be approximately 170mm in overall length and will look something like:

 

433 MHz Whip antenna

The moulded antennas can often have what is known as a skirt - this is the length of moulding that extends past the end of the barrel of the connector (this can be seen in the image above). The 1/4 Wave whip requires a groundplane to operate correctly. Whips can also be permanent mounted with a flying lead for applications where a bulkhead mounted antenna is not desirable.

433 MHz Helical antennas - often a moulded 1/4 wave helical antenna. A typical 1/4 helical antenna is approximately 75mm in overall length. Like a whip antenna, it needs a groundplane to operate effectively, but due to the design the bandwidth of the antenna is smaller than the whip antenna. A typical moulded helical antenna will look something like:

433 MHz Helical antenna

433 MHz Stub antenna - usually shorter than a 433 MHz Helical antenna, the stub is actually also a 1/4 wave helical antenna, but the pitch of the radiating coil is smaller. This affects bandwidth and gain, but when the overall length is 55mm, the small size of the antenna may make the compromised in performance worthwhile. A typical 433 MHz stub antenna would look like this:

433 MHz Stub antenna

433 MHz Wall-Mount - wall-mount antennas come in various flavours, high gain or low cable and with options for integrated cables. As a minimum the wall-mount antenna typically offers 2 dBi gain and is generally designed to feed via a cable to the radio. One example of a wall-mount 433 MHz antenna is shown below:

433 MHz Wall-Mount antenna

433 MHz High Gain Omni antennas -  usually designed for pole-mouned applications, these antennas are typically constructed using a fibreglass tube and can offer 5 dBi or 8 dBi gain. However the compromise for high gain omin antennas is the length of the antenna (they are not discrete), the 5 dBi antenna is approximately 140cm long and the 8 dBi nearly 3M long. These antennas will give you much more range that terminal mount or the wall-mount antennas and some applications require this performance. Below is an example of a high gain omin antenna for 433 MHz:

433 MHz High Gain Omni antenna

433 MHz Yagi antennas - directional antennas offer much higher gain than omni antennas as they radiate broadly in one direction. At 433 MHz frequencies, a Yagi antenna will be similar in size to a traditional TV antenna. 433 MHz Yagi antennas can vary in gain depending on the number of elments the yagi has, but typically the gain can range from 7 or 8 dBi to 14-15 dBi. These antennas are usually pole mounted with a jumper cable to the radio or modem and are designed for outdoor deployment. A typical six element yagi looks like this:

433 MHz Yagi antenna (6 Element)

433 MHz Panel antenna - a panel antenna is also directional in its radiation pattern, more discrete than a yagi antenna, but not offering as much gain, typically gain at 433 MHz could be 6 to 10 dBi. The panel antenna can usually be wall or pole mounted and is fed by a jumper cable. A typical panel antenna looks like this:

The above antennas are the common options for 433 MHz applications - there are of course more specialist antennas such as robust low profile magnetic mounts or collinear vehicle mount antennas - but in many applications a terminal mount, an omni or a directional antenna will fit the bill. The challenge is to understand the trade-offs in performance and select the correct antenna for your application.

For further information, please visit our websites or contact us via e-mail at sales@ead-ltd.com.

New LTE 4G 3G/GSM multiband panel antenna

EAD has today announced the released of the LPP7270, a high gain, directional, outdoor panel antenna covering worldwide LTE, 4G, 3G and GSM frequencies - 690-960/1710-2170/2500-2700 MHz. Housed in a compact, weatherproof radome measuring 260x260x60mm, the LPP7270 offers 7-9 dBi gain across all the bands with a VSWR of less than 1.5:1.

This antenna is terminated in a N-Female connector and requires a jumper cable with N-Male connector.

LPP7270 4G/LTE Multiband Panel Antenna

The mounting bracket is included with the antenna as standard.

This antenna is suitable for providing access to 4G/LTE networks as well as supporting fallback to 3G and 2G GSM services. The antenna will require a jumper cable terminated in a N-Male (plug) - BWL195 and BWL400 offer excellent low loss cable solutions for this antenna.