Mobile telecoms signal loss properties 1

[Soupcat]

In the current Mobile Telecoms industry, mobile operators are beginning to rollout their 3G networks. With the requirement for more transmission sites and the public objection to signal transmitting installations, operators here in Ireland and the UK are forced by planners to ensure their installations are of minimal visual impact i.e. concealed.
I have recently had an enquiry from a customer who currently provide concealment solutions to operators in the UK, Ireland and Europe, to suggest a material which could be used in the manufacture of a panel for concealment purpose. Existing materials used for concealment are of sandwich composition skin-core-skin. A unique selling point of any product developed would have to be that it has excellent properties for communications in that there is very low signal loss when transmitting equipment is placed behind it.If my customer could develop their own plastic product with minimal signal loss properties, they could provide a more cost effective solution to mobile operators which would be very well received by the mobile telecoms market globally. Does anyone have any experience in this area and conseguently have any suggestions to make?

Kieran.

 

[CoryPad]

How about radome materials? Here is one example:

http://www.goreelectronics.com/products/specialty/Radome.html

Regards,

Cory

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

 

[Pud]

hi soupcat,

A few years ago we used to make radome covers for microwave dish antennae up to (I think) 24GHz - they were injection moulded in varying thicknesses, depending on frequency. End users were large Scandinavian companies. Material was (tm) Styrosun. It is basically an impact modified styrene, modified with EPDM rubber (good outdoors, rather than the usual butadiene rubber (hopeless outdoors), with a good UV stabilizer package in it. It is also available in an extrusion grade for making sheet for subsequent vacuum forming. Being mainly styrenic it has about the lowest loss at high rf of all the "sensible cost" polymers:

http://www.styrosun.com/

Good luck hope this helps,

Harry

 

[Pud]

Hi Soupcat,

Forgot to mention: once made some prototype antenna casings which looked like an alarm bell box. Contained 2 (Tx & Rx?) small helical antennas - covered a street/area. Customer decided not to go for inj moulding tool to make them, so no idea what became of the idea.

Rgds

Harry