View Full Version : LTE (4G/5G) antenna
Has anybody a valuable recommendation for an affordable LTE (4G/5G) downlink solution. Customer has the idea of broadcasting "live" on those social media platforms.
A quickly removable solution is preferred on my side.
John R81
1st Jul 2020, 11:59
I see you are Germany, but I that is not an easy thing to do in the UK due to the radio license required (not the technical kit). We did look at this and eventually gave up. I hope that your radio license rules are less restrictive than ours, but I suggest that you check before investing in hardware.
Best wishes
John
sycamore
1st Jul 2020, 12:17
Get a megaphone....
nebpor
1st Jul 2020, 12:31
Not sure what you mean John - he's just looking for a more powerful 4G antenna to get better bandwidth, not turning into a radio transmitter, which as you say would attract a license. These are all within the existing mobile laws.
Plenty available, for example these ones with an external antenna - I'm putting one on our static caravan to get a better EE 4G signal!
https://www.solwise.co.uk/3g-routers.htm
Bell_ringer
1st Jul 2020, 13:08
Static caravans have slightly less onerous certification requirements.
There are numerous off the shelf consumer antennas that can be attached to a 4G router, provided it has an external RF connector.
You will have a more consistent experience with 3G/4G, it is more distance friendly.
MikeNYC
1st Jul 2020, 15:09
Has anybody a valuable recommendation for an affordable LTE (4G/5G) downlink solution. Customer has the idea of broadcasting "life" on those social media platforms.
A quickly removable solution is preferred on my side.
5G won't get you anywhere as UWB signal doesn't reach far from the node. 3G/4G is the way to go.
We're evaluating 3 different downlink solutions currently, two with dedicated base stations and one LTE based.
For LTE, we're looking at bonded systems such as the Teradek Bond + LinkPro, which uses 4x LTE signals that are bonded. We're also looking at the Vislink CIRAS-X6 and Silvus SC4400 licensed systems.
There are various (non-STC'ed) MIMO LTE antennas available with 4-8 LTE connections. We're checking the feasibility of using one of these on an STC'ed antenna mount facing down, as well as the legalities of such an installation.
The aforementioned Teradek system is quite portable and removable, and you might be able to forego an installed antenna.
John R81
2nd Jul 2020, 10:38
Nebpor - You are in the general license to use a mobile on the ground - static caravan, in a car, etc. Receiving isn't an issue, but transmitting is.
You are not in the general license to transmit from an aircraft (you can receive), and you want to transmit legally then you need a specific license.
We did look at this for real-time video 4G downlink from a helicopter in the UK. We started with the expectation that you have, "it's just a phone, so must be OK", and found it to be a complete nightmare. Eventually we went with "record to data card, land and hand-over the data card".
Enjoy the caravan
aa777888
2nd Jul 2020, 17:50
Would you guys actually get nicked for airborne use of cellular phone radios? That's got to be the most winked at rule (47 CFR § 22.925) ever in the US. What self-respecting helicopter pilot hasn't made or received a phone call using their fancy dancy Bluetooth enabled headset or helmet? (Yeah, yeah, go ahead and chime in you do-gooders ;)) And all those passengers blasting away at texts, email, and PPRuNe posts during take-off and landing on commercial airliners.
P.S. thanks for that Teradek reference. That looks like nice stuff. We had been looking at Peplink for another project (not aviation related).
Thanks for the valuable information. We will look into the various products. If it works propperly, I'll let you know and will come back with some feedback.