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Actual spread of Rocket 120 sector antenna

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kc8rgo
Actual spread of Rocket 120 sector antenna
I have a situation where an area I would like to cover with the Rocket M2 w/120 degree sector antenna is only 2 miles or less away from the antenna.  Can I effectively cover this at about 10 degrees out side of the 120 degree spread advertised for this antenna?

I would just try it, but it is a tower climb.

Thanks - Kc8RGO
kg9dw
kg9dw's picture
What client antenna are you
What client antenna are you going to use? I've successfully used parabolic nanobridges 90 degrees off of each other up to 1.5 miles away. 
K6AH
K6AH's picture
Sector Antenna Pattern
Check the pattern diagrams on their spec sheet:  https://dl.ubnt.com/datasheets/airmaxsector/airMAX_Sector_Antennas_DS.pdf
You'll see an additional 10 degrees off center only costs you 2-3 dB.

Andre
 
KE2N
KE2N's picture
offsides

Yeah - you can find the theoretical gain of the antenna and then work the link budget with your other antenna.  You can actually get a fair amount of signal straight off the *back* of a sector antenna - that is why someone makes a shield kit for it, I suppose.

If your receive antenna is also off-pointed, there is the possibility that a reflected signal may be a strong as the direct signal and that will cause problems.  But if your other antenna is pointed directly at the sector, then the only debit is that the H and V polarities will be unbalanced - because they fall off at different rates as you go 'around the bend'.  I expect the consequence of that will be to limit the MCS and bit rate below what it might be, if the two signals were more equal.

KE2N

kc8rgo
Thanks for the responses!
Thanks for the responses!  For 90% of what the Rocket will be doing, the client will be nicely within the spread of the 120 sector.  For a few events such as runs that start in the State Park, the starting line will be just outside the sector.
 

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