Antenna Systems & Technology - Spring 2012 - (Page 19)

ANTENNAS Fractal Antenna Takes Sound Wireless Rock concerts and sporting events just got the pick-up they needed – the antenna pick-up that is. Live entertainment shows have long been plagued with awkwardly-shaped, low-performance antennas used for wireless microphones and lighting controls. The solution for integrators, until now, has been to build the stage, or the arena, with more and more eyesore antennas just to get satisfactory coverage and performance. Now, Fractal Antenna Systems, Inc. (Fractal), with its partner Clair Global (Clair), has introduced the Clair CF 1090 antenna. A full performance, wideband antenna, the Clair CF 1090 offers a low profile. The size of a pizza box, the Clair CF 1090 is unobtrusive and nearly flat. It melts into the background rather than becoming an eyesore. Its orientation-insensitive broad angle view also boasts plenty of gain to cover the action. “Antennas have become a big problem for live entertainment, sporting events, movie and TV shoots, houses of worship, and DAS type venues,” said Fractal Antenna Systems’ CEO Nathan Cohen, “The antennas are just too big or too weird looking. Not to mention that multiple antenna units are required to get the necessary coverage. We changed all that.” Working with Clair Global and Clair’s Wireless First division, Fractal arrived at a smaller volume, unobtrusive, wideband solution using its proprietary fractal antenna technology. Designed and manufactured by Fractal for Clair, the antenna is sold exclusively through Clair. Though it’s visually understated, the Clair CF 1090 has already proven its value with outstanding performance. On high profile live shows such as the New York Christmas Tree lighting at Rockefeller Center, and the CMT Awards, the Clair CF 1090 fractal antenna worked flawlessly. It’s estimate that a hundreds of millions of people will be in-touch with live shows using the Clair CF 1090 this year alone. Not only is the Clair CF 1090 a live performance antenna, its wide frequency coverage also makes it a suitable DAS antenna for many indoor and outdoor applications, such as hotels, schools, municipal buildings, office buildings and hospitals. It can also be wall mounted. NEW PRODUCTS & SERVICES Iridium Pilot is engineered for enhanced durability to withstand the harshest maritime conditions, all the while packaged in a small, lightweight antenna. It has a fixed, electronicallysteerable, phased-array antenna, designed to maintain connectivity in rough seas. Iridium Pilot offers broadband connectivity in addition to three independent phone lines, all of which work simultaneously, with data speeds up to 134 kbps. The platform offers a suite of new capabilities for vessel telecommunications optimization. These capabilities include a built-in firewall for traffic management and a bulk configuration capability to assist in efficiently managing large volumes of units. Its small form factor, enhanced capabilities and flexible service packages make Iridium Pilot an optimal solution for vessels large and small. In addition, Iridium Pilot maintains the best service program in the industry, the Iridium Global Service Program, and the industry’s only standard five-year limited warranty. “We currently see a rapid migration from legacy narrowband services to new generation broadband solutions in the maritime satellite communications market,” said Richard Roithner, senior consultant at Euroconsult. “MSS broadband solutions, in particular those positioned in the lower price ranges, have seen significant growth over the last two years increasing at around 120 percent per year. Euroconsult projects growth to continue in the coming years as these systems provide an attractive value proposition for low- and medium-end markets, including fishing, shipping and leisure vessels, to provide safety communications, enhance ship operations, improve crew welfare as well as provide complementary services for VSAT. Our research has found that data rates of around 128kbps are sufficient for the majority of applications used onboard vessels today.” “Importantly, Iridium Pilot will be compatible with Iridium’s next generation satellite constellation, Iridium Next,” said Joel Thompson, vice president, product management, Iridium. “Iridium Next, scheduled for deployment starting in 2015, is the largest commercial space program underway today. Ship operators installing Iridium Pilot can have the confidence that their equipment will be supported well beyond 2020.” Iridium Communications, Inc. has launched its second-generation maritime broadband platform, Iridium Pilot. Iridium Pilot will utilize the Iridium OpenPort service, a first when it comes to fully global maritime broadband. Iridium Pilot Raises the Bar for Affordable Broadband Maritime Communications Send industry news & product press releases to Heather Krier at heatherk@infowebcom.com WWW.ANTENNASONLINE.COM SPRING 2012 ANTENNA SYSTEMS & TECHNOLOGY 19 http://WWW.ANTENNASONLINE.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Antenna Systems & Technology - Spring 2012

Antenna Systems & Technology - Spring 2012
Editor’s Choice
Next-Gen Networks Call for the Re-Architecture of Antenna Systems
Wireless Infrastructure Cable and Antenna Testing Using the Next-Generation in Handheld Measurement Tools
Antenna Upgrade Challenges in Concealed Cell Towers
Antennas
Components
Wireless Communication
Test & Measurement
Industry News
Marketplace
Efficient Design and Analysis of an Ultra Wideband Planar Antenna with Band Rejection in WLAN Frequencies

Antenna Systems & Technology - Spring 2012