UPDATE on Seeking Ideas for RoadTesting Antennas

Having spent time in a previous life doing RF work for the NZ Post Office (later Telecom) I've seen a vaste array of antennas, and antenna designs.

Each has a specific purpose, and some are designed for the environment, so they have special charateristics or materials.

As awneil said the radiation pattern and gain are the key differences between antenna.

The examples above are all omni-directional, (but for different bands) so the gain is the final figure as to how well it will perform.

Therefore the 2.7-6GHz version should have a longer range with the same power.

To test these you need a transmitter with adjustable gain, and a receiver that can provide the RSSI (Received signal strength).

They need to be tested in an open environment, clear from reflections.

While this provides the optimal conditions, in reality they are used in an urban environment, placed to suit the box or mounting.

This means the real world result is varied and not able to be duplicated easily.

What I think might be useful is to see if the testers can increase the range of the middle example by directing it, to provide a cheap link between two points.

I've aluded to some antenna theory here BT_Sentry : Zero Emission Detection

I have to build something that will allow my modifications to be tested, which is likely to involve a servo and stand in the middle of a paddock.

Cheers

Mark

mcb1  wrote:

 

To test these you need a transmitter with adjustable gain, and a receiver that can provide the RSSI (Received signal strength).

They need to be tested in an open environment, clear from reflections.

Yes, to do quantitative measurements.

But I think a Road Test could also benefit from more "qualitative" results - experience in real-life situations; eg,

in reality they are used in an urban environment, placed to suit the box or mounting.

This means the real world result is varied and not able to be duplicated easily.

 

What I think might be useful is to see if the testers can increase the range of the middle example by directing it, to provide a cheap link between two points.

Interesting question as to whether the Road Test should provide "reference" receivers & transmitters (eg, Dev Kits): this would certainly help to provide more consistent, comparable results - but I suspect that many testers would rather see how the antennas perform in their own systems.

There's also the question of the learning curve with devkits - which takes the focus off the antennas, and onto the devkits & associated stuff.

To do comparative tests of antennas really needs the antennas to be in the same band.

mcb1  wrote:

 

To test these you need a transmitter with adjustable gain, and a receiver that can provide the RSSI (Received signal strength).

They need to be tested in an open environment, clear from reflections.

Yes, to do quantitative measurements.

But I think a Road Test could also benefit from more "qualitative" results - experience in real-life situations; eg,

in reality they are used in an urban environment, placed to suit the box or mounting.

This means the real world result is varied and not able to be duplicated easily.

 

What I think might be useful is to see if the testers can increase the range of the middle example by directing it, to provide a cheap link between two points.

Interesting question as to whether the Road Test should provide "reference" receivers & transmitters (eg, Dev Kits): this would certainly help to provide more consistent, comparable results - but I suspect that many testers would rather see how the antennas perform in their own systems.

There's also the question of the learning curve with devkits - which takes the focus off the antennas, and onto the devkits & associated stuff.

To do comparative tests of antennas really needs the antennas to be in the same band.