The Biggest Military Antenna Mistake You Don't Want to Make
David from Cyntony explains some common mistakes when purchasing a military antenna.
Mistakes to Avoid when Purchasing a Military Antenna
Choosing an omnidirectional antenna may be the wrong choice!
Omnidirectional antennas, often considered standard elsewhere, may not be the best for tactical communications. Communication intended for friendly forces is easily intercepted when broadcast in all directions. Directional antennas can help avoid this.
Although useful for delivering more secure communications, directional antennas present a design challenge, because they tend to be larger. Newer design features allow for different mountings and applications, but they may not look like a traditional antenna.
Key Takeaways
- Omnidirectional antennas aren't always optimal: Their broad horizontal coverage may be undesirable in some operational scenarios.
- Directionality matters: Directional antennas concentrate RF energy toward a particular coverage area.
- Signal exposure is a consideration: Antenna radiation patterns can influence where transmitted energy is strongest.
- Lower frequencies present challenges: Directional antennas operating at lower frequencies, including low VHF, can be physically large.
- Platform requirements affect antenna selection: Tactical vehicles and mobile systems may require specialized antenna designs or deployment approaches.
Video Transcript
The following transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and readability.
What's a big military antenna mistake to make today?
I think the answer may be that, with the evolution of warfare, choosing an omnidirectional antenna may be the wrong choice.
With an omnidirectional antenna, your signal goes in all directions, and you may not want signals intended for friendly communications to go to the unfriendly side.
So, perhaps omnidirectional antennas, which have been standard in many applications, aren't always the best choice nowadays.
For more secure communications and a lower probability of intercept, people generally choose directional antennas.
Now, directional antennas for tactical vehicles and other military applications present a challenge, especially at lower frequencies and low VHF. They tend to be very large.
There's an interesting design challenge for antenna designers: developing deployable antennas, such as the wire log-periodic antennas available from our supplier.
At higher frequencies, you can use antennas that are somewhat easier to deploy. However, these may still require structures that look different from a simple wire extending from the top of a vehicle.
For example, they might be wedge-shaped or panel-shaped to create a directional beam for your antenna.