[TowerTalk] Fwd: This "multiple antenna" thing - it just might work!

[hanslg at aol.com]

 Why don't we try something like that? Maybe it could save us a PA or two..

Hans - N2JFS

 


 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Sacco NN4X <nn4x at embarqmail.com>
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Sent: Thu, Aug 12, 2010 7:27 am
Subject: [TowerTalk] This "multiple antenna" thing - it just might work!


I  sure hope they don't try to patent this idea.  :-)



[SNIP]



Antennas that beam out energy in a narrower band can be more efficient. 

Cell towers use this tactic, with several antennas pointing in different 

directions to better serve users. Zhong's group has developed a 

prototype antenna system that could give that ability to cell phones 

themselves, saving energy and extending battery life.



The researchers connected a small Wi-Fi transmitter to three cheap 

directional "patch" antennas facing in different directions, as well as 

a standard omni-directional antenna. Only one of the four was active at 

any one time, with the directional antenna being used to send data to 

the base station, and the omni-directional one used to receive it.



The system was mounted on a motorized spinning platform to test its most 

crucial quality: the ability to stay connected when the orientation of 

the device changed as it rotated (by switching to whichever antenna was 

generally oriented toward the base station). The directional antennas 

monitored the quality of packets received from the base station to 

decide which among them should send the next packet.

[SNIP]



Full story: 

<http://www.technologyreview.com/communications/25979/?nlid=3368>



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