Webb develops new antennas

A South African based telecommunications solutions provider, Webb Industries, has once again proven its prowess in the design and manufacture of South African products for complex networks.

15 April 2009

In this case, Webb has successfully developed the SiteMaster collinear antenna and the Elite 'R' mobile antenna specifically for the South African terrestrial trunked radio (TETRA) network. TETRA, a digital trunked mobile standard, was originally developed by the

(ETSI) to meet the needs of professional mobile radio (PMR) user organisations such as those involved in transportation, public safety, government, utilities, the military, etc.

The SiteMaster SM390-6 fibreglass collinear antenna is a high-gain base station antenna designed to yield maximum gain in the horizontal plane. With side lobes reduced to a minimum, it is supplied with an integral clamp for mounting on a vertical or horizontal support pole. With a frequency range of 380–390/390–400 MHz and a rated power of 300 W, the SiteMaster is coax grounded and thus lightning protected.

The Elite 400 is specifically designed for mounting from the inside or on the outside of a vehicle body and is easy to install. It has a frequency range of 380–400 MHz, a rated power of 50 W and an omnidirectional radiation pattern. It is ideally suited for fast emergency vehicles as it is able to withstand wind velocities of more than 220 km/h.

Webb engineer Terry Reuss says these antennas have been designed and built mainly for the police services in South Africa who utilise the TETRA network. “Even though TETRA technology is originally European, we had no difficulty in producing extremely efficient and reliable antennas for the network," he says, adding that his company has great faith in the TETRA system. “It seems it is a technology that is here to stay."