Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: How much gain do I need from my antenna?
Q2: Does beam width matter
Q3: Should I use Sectors or Omnis?
Q4: Do I need Test Equipment?
Q5: Why manufacture in Australia?
Q6: How do I place an order?
How much gain do I need from my antenna?
The answer of course depends on many factors. The three main ones are:
- the transmit power of your access point
- cable losses
- link distance
For a detailed explanation - look at our Introduction to Wireless Networks Section. The easy way to choose an antenna is to give us a ring - we can steer you in the right direction and even do a link budget calculation for you while you're on the phone. PacSat phone: 1800 001 081.
Does beam width matter
For a point-to-point link a narrow beamwidth is usually an advantage as it reduces other potential sources of interference. For point to multi-point links each of the points need to be "in the beam" of the central access point. This usually involves a trade-off as the physics dictate that as beamwidth increases, gain reduces.
Should I use Sectors or Omnis?
The advantage of an omni-directional antenna is that they are easy to erect as you don't have to put much thought into where they are pointing (ignoring vertical beamwidth issues) and they give good coverage with just one antenna.
Having said this many people are now pulling out their omnis and replacing them one or more sectors. The main drivers for this is that sectors:
- typically reduce congestion, interference and noise by allowing more selective coverage
- they allow greater frequency re-use and hence bandwidth
- improve redundancy on critical base stations
Do I need Test Equipment?
If you're asking this question, you probably already know the answer! It is easy to spend a few days trying to resolve a relatively simple problem with a radio link. The problem is you can't see radio waves, and are entirely reliant on what the equipment is telling you. While some radio equipment now has quite good diagnostic utilities, this may not help you if the radio equipment itself is the problem. Stand-alone, reliable test equipment will usually pay for itself many times over quite quickly.
Why manufacture in Australia?
Antenna manufacture is fast becoming a global market. This means that most manufacturing has migrated to low labour cost countries such as China. While our costs would be significantly lower if we followed this trend, we believe this is offset by being closer to our end market and being able to continually improve our products.
How do I place an order?
Just give us a ring or send us an email. We're always happy to discuss your requirements and give our views based upon our experience of designing, testing, manufacturing and installing our products.
