Antenna Placement
This is the planning of the position and orientation of the receiver antenna and its relationship with the metal around it. Correct placement can be summarised as a vertical position, a clearance of a few centimetres from metal surfaces, and bringing it outside the panel. Wrong placement makes the open-area range in the catalogue noticeably invalid in the field.
Antenna placement is the step that takes the least effort during installation but has the greatest effect on the result. The rules to apply, in order, are these:
- Bring it outside the panel. An antenna inside a metal enclosure is screened; this is the most frequent cause of range loss.
- Position it vertically. Since the transmitter antenna is also mostly held vertical, the polarisation match is preserved.
- Keep it away from metal. An antenna closer than a few centimetres to large conductive surfaces distorts the radiation pattern.
- Move it away from interference sources. The inverter, the motor cable and the welding machine are the most demanding neighbours for an antenna; distance is the cheapest and most effective measure.
- Watch the line of sight. Let there be as few concrete walls and steel structures as possible between the area where the operator works and the antenna.
When making the placement permanent, think about vibration as well: an antenna mounted on a crane chassis can come off its connector within months because of a clamp working loose. In the commissioning test, verify the range from the furthest point of the working area with no load, and write that point in the maintenance record.
The context in which this term is used: 433 MHz or 2.4 GHz?