The demand
for long distance, high capacity, microwave links continues with advances in
radio technology allowing more data to be transmitted over even longer
distances.
As you’ll have seen from our product releases over
the past 12 months, CommScope has demonstrated its commitment to long haul
microwave with an update of our long-haul antennas.
CLICK TO TWEET: Jim Syme explains how new antennas will meet the long haul needs of any customer to expand and improve their networks.
With the upcoming
release of the 12ft (3.7m) antennas, the transformation of this product range
will be complete…there is now a whole new family of high and ultra-high
performance antennas available from the 1.2m (4ft) Sentinel antennas right
through to the 3.7m (12ft) ValuLine HX and Sentinel USX giants.
Gone are
the rectangular J-hook feeds with asymmetric patterns – say hello to modern “cassegrain”
feed technology. Developed from patented technology used on the very successful
ValuLine and Sentinel antenna range for many years, the feeds have been further
enhanced to provide the performance demanded of these new antennas.
These
antennas have taken the best of all the legacy products in terms of RF
performance and gone a step further. With interference and spectrum
availability being critical issues for the microwave industry, these industry-leading
radiation patterns, many of which are compliant to ETSI Class 4, allow denser microwave
networks and more traffic to be transmitted over links.
Mechanically,
the antennas use proven design concepts and material combinations for antenna
durability and simplified installation. We’ve then subjected these antennas to
the equivalent of a lifetime of use through our qualification program to prove
that these new antennas are every bit as robust as the older models they
replace.
The ability to upgrade these antennas to
250km/h survival windspeed with a low-cost high windload kit rather than
purchasing and deploying more expensive “extreme environment” antennas is also
a huge benefit that can be realized in short lead times rather than the 3
months that used to be the norm.
From a
“total cost of ownership” perspective, shipping dimensions were a major factor
for the engineers to consider in the project scope. By considering container
dimensions when designing the packaging, maximum use is made of container
capacity with less “fresh air” being shipped at a high cost.
Customer
feedback on the antennas already released has been extremely positive with many
hundreds already deployed around the world. Link planning has become easier,
costs have come down, networks have become denser, and interference scenarios
have reduced.
So, when
the 3.7m HX12 and USX12 antennas are released to the market, the transformation
will be complete and CommScope will have the first complete range of modern
antennas designed to meet the long haul needs of any customer as they expand
and improve their networks.
Check out
the new HX
and USX antennas.