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ROADTEST POLL: Would You Be Interesting in Roadtesting a Multi-Hub Antenna?

rscasny

I have been in conversation with the roadtest sponsor about roadtesting a multi-hub antenna.

We both would like to to more activities around antennas, but we don't know much interest there would be in this particular product. Thus, I'm running this poll to gauge your interest in roadtesting it.

Here's some information about the product:

imageMulti-hub 5 in 1 external antenna

A multi-hub 5 in 1 external antenna including 2x 5G/LTE, 2 x WiFi and 1x GNSS. It provides 5G MIMO and Wi-Fi MIMO antenna system within compact antenna box and use in automotive telematics, transportation and remote monitoring applications.

Features

  • Working frequency 698-960MHz/1500-1700MHz /1710-2690MHz/3300-5000MHz for 5G/LTE
    MIMO, Frequency 2400-2500MHz/5000-6000MHz for WIFI MIMO, 1561-1602MHz for GNSS
  • Antenna Size:155x65x20mm with 1000mm Cable Length
  • Connector Type: SMA (M) ST
  • IP67

Here are some docs:

Datasheet

Product Specs

Application Specs

For other information

 imageMulti-hub antenna 7-in-1

A Multi-hub 7-in-1 Antenna including 2 x LTE/5G full band, 2 x LTE/5G high band, 2 x WI-FI, and 1x GNSS. It provides LTE/5G 4 x 4 MIMO, WI-FI 2 x 2 MIMO and GNSS antenna system within compact antenna box and use in automotive telematics, transportation and remote monitoring applications.

Features

  • Working frequency 600-960MHz/1400-1550MHz/1710-2690MHz/3300-5000MHz for 5G MIMO, Frequency 2400-2500MHz/5150-5850MHz/5925-7125MHz for WIFI MIMO, 1561-1602MHz for GNSS
  • Antenna Size:160x115x22.5mm with 1000mm Cable Length
  • Connector Type: SMA (M)
  • IPX7

Here are some docs:

Datasheet

Product Specs

Application Specs

For other information

  • Will have to check the product details for better understanding and to apply for the road test but it seems interesting roadtest.

    Especially such device can be used to monitor the radiation caused by cellular network and also other wireless devices traffic monitoring. For example using Raspberry-Pi and a display it can demonstrate all the radiation related information.

    I voted for more than 80 hours because it making some demo could take time rather than a normal roadtest report of a product

  • It is beyond my capabilities, but I would love to see someone integrate the antenna with an SDR device.

  • in reply to shabaz

    Unfortunately I have a friend that does... Slight smile

    Here is one such antenna from a classic car vehicle tracker
    image

    Hidden behind a trim by the rear window.

    Connected to this 

    image

    hidden in the boot / trunk

  • in reply to shabaz

    Unfortunately I don't have a classic car!, but for sure I've come across owners who were especially concerned with concealing antennas, and they kind of had no choice, because they absolutely need to hide such equipment for tracking purposes. I can imagine the same goes for various car enthusiast sports.

  • Nice documentation! They have clearly paid a lot for the antenna hub to be tested, there are 100+ pages of antenna measurements. This would be really neat for burying a load of antennas (not all would need to be used on day one) in vehicles, perhaps even classic cars which need trackers and GPS hidden.

    A VNA won't help much, at best it can only help with a small subset of tests for an antenna unfortunately. Only some scalar measurements are possible, because at those frequencies a VNA calibrator is required for vector measurements, and those cost several $k (although I have seen one set for $500-600 which kind of looks reasonable. But even then, it's just a subset.

    It's possible to do other tests with cheap equipment (for instance measuring the radiation pattern doesn't need a lot of equipment at all can be sub-$50 as shown in that RoadTest). An SDR is more practical here than a VNA. I think it's good for a ballpark estimate if the antenna is functioning as expected, and there's nothing wrong with such a (literally) field-test, equipment manufacturers test outdoors (if they have a license for it).

    Personally I think it's better to either just use the device and write up the usability and practicality of it (doesn't necessarily need to use all antennas), because no end equipment manufacturer is going to pay the hundred $k or so for that level of antenna testing when Molex has already done that, so it wouldn't help the reader (if the reader is an end equipment manufacturer). Personally I think what would help the reader more is seeing it in use, and the practical issues surrounding it, and any (inevitable subjective in this case but it is what it is) findings in the environment it is used in (e.g. mounted against a metal chassis and so on).

  • I am fascinated by antennas, and that they work as well as they do.  These seem mostly designed for 5G, and I don't have anything with those high frequencies.  I have LoRa boards.  And I have a cheap VNA, only goes up to 2Ghz though.  I said maybe, but doing a thorough test is difficult.

  • If I were to test this, I would use some of my other road test, evaluations that have LTE Wi-Fi, loraWAN  antennas and compare them

  • There is definitely a trend towards systems that leverage more than one frequency band, and size is always an issue. No question this road test would be useful in gaining knowledge in this area. Unfortunately with my current backlog this isn't high enough on the priority list to hijack my previously planned projects.

  • If I were to road test it, I would do an application based test.  I actually have a setup that uses LTE, WiFi, and GNSS antennas.  Probably would compare performance against the existing setup.

  • good to know there will be more activities around antennas, but for this one I voted Maybe. Would be very difficult to measure its performance other than compare it to other antennas, without a anechoic room.