Selecting A Parabolic Dish for Unlicensed Point to Point Links
Parabolic antennas offer two distinct advantages: High gain and high directivity.
These antennas can produce a very narrow beamwidth, enabling them to reach specific targets without causing much interference. Parabolic antennas are ideal for use in unlicensed point to point deployments, where mitigating interference is critical.
Parabolic antennas are not perfect, though, and there are some important things to consider to ensure optimal performance across the network.
Choosing The Right Dish
Look for an antenna with a firm, yet flexible bracket. Be wary of cheap antennas that come with weak brackets, which will likely shift over time and during inclement weather. We recommend using heavy-duty, universal pipe-mount brackets that are easy to adjust, yet secure.
You will also want to assess the antenna’s design. Avoid selecting models that are overly complex, and difficult to remove for maintenance. Look for features like integrated handles and hoisting hooks, which can enable safe and convenient installations and removals.
Next, think about the antenna’s polarization. Does the manufacturer make it easy to change the polarization? This process should be rapid and painless.
Finally, consider the radome. There are many different types of materials that are used, each offering distinct advantages and disadvantages. For example, polyethylene (PE) will produce a lower loss tangent, but tends to be less durable over time. KP Performance’s parabolic radomes are made with ABS, a plastic that features both adequate tangent loss, as well as UV and weather resistant qualities.
KP’s Approach to Parabolic Antennas
KP Performance now offers the ProLine series of parabolic antennas, which are specifically designed for high density deployments.
ProLine parabolic antennas deliver high, stable gain over wide bandwidths. They also feature side and back-lobe suppression, which are both important for reducing interference.
Single-band and dual-band antennas are available in 2.3-2.7 GHz, 3.5-4.2 GHz and 4.9-6.4 GHz for 2x2, 4x4 and 8x8 MIMO.
To browse KP Performance’s selection of parabolic antennas, click here.
Photo Credit: Josh Luthman, Imagine Networks in Ohio.