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In the 21st-century, a quick scan of your surroundings is usually all it takes to come across a beneficiary of wireless networking. From mobile phones to wireless routers, radios, or a bluetooth device, this phenomenon is all around us.
Behind every wireless network, however, is an antenna of some kind and an expert who aligned that antenna to send and receive signals as efficiently as possible.
Without proper antenna alignment, your device is sure to provide faulty data or no data at all, halting many everyday processes such as phone calls or Google searches.
To aid in the alignment of so many antennas, TMG’s range includes everything from MPO inspection to all-in-one OTDRs and Cable Antenna Analysers like the VIAVI OneAdvisor-800.
So, let’s discuss the true importance of antenna alignment, and how different technologies can be used to make life easier for technicians.
An effective antenna must have a direct and unobstructed path to the receiving antenna, whether that is a satellite in orbit, or a device in the next room of your house. Without this clear path, the antenna will be unable to send or receive a clear, strong signal. When the path of the signal is obstructed, faults like coverage gaps, poor network performance, and the loss of revenue for service providers can occur.
An entry-level technician who has just begun their time in the industry may be unaware of how rudimentary antenna alignment used to be.
Before tools were created like VIAVI’s 3Z RF Vision Antenna Alignment Tool or the Viavi IoA-IoT, technicians used compasses to perform the task.
Of course, these were replaced by GPS devices and rangefinders more recently due to the time-consuming and inaccurate nature of using a compass.
Today, VIAVI’s tools are at the cutting edge of antenna alignment and provide a much faster and more accurate method, reducing interference from RF obstructions.
Using the 3Z RF Vision Antenna Alignment Tool, technicians can achieve antenna alignment with speed and accuracy in high-density urban areas.
The 3Z RF Vision uses GNSS dual-frequency technology for the precise measurement of the three key parameters (azimuth, tilt, and roll). An in-built camera sends a live line-of-sight view to the user, removing any guesswork, while the 5-inch touch-screen uses augmented reality to apply a cross-hair and bullseye to the live image.
Once readings have been obtained, the 3Z RF Vision allows the user to generate PDF reports in PDF which can be shared from any smart device.
That same entry-level technician might be misled to believe that a single antenna alignment is all it takes to ensure ongoing accuracy.
They would be wrong, however, as ongoing antenna monitoring is highly important to ensure it remains accurate. The once-perfect measurements of any antenna can be knocked offline by environmental factors like inclement weather or earthquakes. Alternatively, mishandling or structural faults can cause the antenna to become misaligned, while new buildings nearby can obstruct an antenna.
The Viavi IoA-IoT monitoring sensor attaches to the antenna and measures changes in azimuth, tilt, and roll. These changes are recorded and uploaded to the cloud immediately, where operators can access the information remotely at any time.
When these two tools are combined, carriers are able to reduce operational expenditure, improve antenna reading quality, improve speed of data traffic, and avoid customer churn caused by poor service.
There’s only one company you can rely on to deliver reliable antenna alignment technology and that’s TMG.
Over 30 years of experience in this industry has allowed us to witness and contribute to the development of many technologies that we are now proud to distribute.
We trust brands like VIAVI and know that you should too.
To learn more about antenna alignment, VIAVI, or our range of testing equipment, get in touch with our expert team today.
