Dual-band Optimizer

Essentially two antennas housed in a single radome, the Optimizer dual-band antenna series has been specially designed to deliver excellent RF performance across the entire 824-960MHz and 1710-2170 MHz bands. This includes Cellular850 and GSM900 ‘low-band' services, plus the full spectrum of ‘high-band' services-such as PCS 1900MHz, GSM 1800MHz, UMTS 2100MHz, and the new U.S. and Canada ‘advanced wireless services' (AWS) spectrum (1710-1755MHz/2110-2155MHz).

RFS's new Optimizer dual-band antenna series saves tower space without sacrificing gain. It has been developed to deliver optimized gain from a shorter antenna radome. This allows operators to free up tower space without compromising performance.

The two-in-one nature of RFS's new Optimizer dual-band antenna series allows carriers to reduce opex and capex. Generally, a dual-band BSA is more cost-effective than buying two separate antennas, so cost savings can be realized even before the network is deployed. Furthermore, the new RFS Optimizer dual-band antenna family allows carriers to reduce the number of antennas at a single cell site, saving tower space and loading. This, in turn, reduces tower-leasing expenditure.

RFS's new Optimizer dual-band antenna series comprises three manual variable down-tilt variants:

• 3.6-foot (APX12CGV-15DWVB-T)
• 5.2-foot (APX14CGV-16DWVB-T)
• 6.9-foot (APX15CGV-16DWVB-T)

 Each Optimizer dual-band antenna variant is available with an integrated antenna control unit (ACU) for remote electrical tilt (RET) functionality. Whether, manual, or RET, the new Optimizer dual-band allows independent coverage pattern optimization for each frequency band. Pre-fitting the ACUs streamlines installation and reduces the likelihood of on-site installation error. Furthermore, RFS's ACUs are fully AISG 1.1- and 2.0-compatible.

The new Optimizer dual-band antenna series exhibits the superior performance common to all RFS Optimizer antenna family members-including superior upper side-lobe suppression (in this case better than 18dB across the entire frequency range), high gain, and impressive front-to-back ratio (for the Optimizer dual-band this is typically around 25dB).

By employing compact, lightweight and aesthetically pleasing RF solutions, network deployment costs can be minimized. By integrating tower-top components into customized multi-functional BSAs, installation can be simplified and tower space saved.

At present, the new Optimizer dual-band antenna series is only available in the Americas.