During military operations, assets such as tanks, battleships, and helicopters aren’t fixed points in space. They’re on the move and subject to non-line-of-sight (NLOS) conditions that can affect the transmission or receipt of wireless signals. When signals bounce-off of physical obstructions, significant variations in the received signal can occur. Antennas that radiate and receive wireless signals in all directions can help, but not all omnidirectional antennas have the optimum polarization to avoid multi-path and signal loss.
Polarization and Communications
Polarization is the shape of the electromagnetic wave that travels from a sending antenna to a receiving antenna. It’s different than antenna patterning, which is more about the direction in which waves travel. If an antenna has a polarization that’s linear, energy radiates on a single vertical or horizontal plane. If an antenna has a dual polarization instead, signals are sent and received on both the vertical plane and the horizontal plane.
Some omnidirectional antennas are dual polarized, but most have polarization that’s circular so that radio waves rotate as the signal propagates. This helps to mitigate the reflections that are common when signals travel in all directions and, naturally, encounter natural or man-made obstacles. With military communications, however, the reflections can be significant because nearby military hardware can absorb signals or cause them to bounce-off. In short, a better polarization solution is needed.
Multi-Polarized Antennas for Military Communications
MP Antenna of Elyria, Ohio (USA) designs and manufactures MIL-STD-810G compliant antennas for military communications. These products don’t have linear, dual, or circular polarization. Rather, they are multi-polarized to propagate signals with considerably less loss than other types of antennas. MP’s multi-polarized antennas have built-in spatial diversity on every feed and are available in rugged designs. They’re also tested under real-world conditions.
With their three-dimensional geometry, MP’s multi-polarized antennas reduce multi-path problems such as drop-outs and phase cancellation. These antennas also have the broad signal patterning that’s needed to capture reflected signals caused by physical obstructions, including nearby military vehicles and equipment. Military buyers also like that all of MP’s products are Made in the USA.
To learn more MP Antenna’s solutions for military communications, contact us.