Abeillon designs and manufactures flexible antenna supports. This state-of-the-art equipment provides support, spatial orientation and mechanical protection for mobile omnidirectional antennas.
Flexible antenna brackets
The role of military antenna bracket
These antenna supports brackets are specially designed for frequency ranges:
- VHF. the Very High Frequency (VHF) band and more precisely for the part of the radio spectrum between 30 MHz and 120 MHz.
- and UHF. the ultra-high frequency (UHF) or even microwave band, and more precisely for the radio spectrum band between 300 MHz and about 5 GHz.
These bases form a mechanical and electromagnetic interface between a radio transceiver and an antenna. Depending on their configuration, they can also be used to connect a supporting structure of a ground intervention vehicle to an antenna.
Military antenna bracket in detail…
In the VHF frequency range, the flexible supports have mechanical and electromagnetic conduction interfaces with a threaded hole at the base and a threaded rod at the head. In the case of a connection with a mobile radio, the base can be equipped with a BNC type connector.
The central part consists of a semi-rigid flexible tube with shape memory. This gooseneck tube can possibly be reinforced.
Accordingly, this type of support gives the antenna the desired spatial orientation and protects it from shocks.
Since this concerns a VHF antenna on board a vehicle, the central part of the flexible support is made up of:
- a flexible composite mechanical assembly without shape memory, or
- a straight or conical spring with contiguous coils.
Thus, these types of flexible supports provide mechanical protection for the
antenna in the event of collision with an obstacle.
In the UHF frequency range, the mechanical brackets have N, NP, BNC, SMA type electrical connectors at their ends.
The central part consists of a flexible gooseneck or in other words of a semi-rigid flexible tube with shape memory, or else stay put tube. This component becomes indispensable since the main functions of the support are to give the antenna a spatial orientation and to protect it against shocks.
In the special case where the UHF antenna is to be mounted on a land vehicle, the flexible support is equipped with one of the connectors shown above, located at the top, to connect the antenna.
The part of the flexible support below the connector, can be made up of one or two flexible levels without shape memory.
The two flexible levels are separated by a rigid element whose essential function is to position the antenna at the appropriate altitude on the vehicle.
The lower flexible element, connected to a mechanical interface bolted to the vehicle, is designed to protect both the antenna and the rigid raising device from impact on collision. The upper flexible element, interfaced with the antenna connector, is designed solely to protect the antenna.
The connection cable between the radio module and the antenna is routed inside the bracket.
The military antenna brackets are lined with a rubber or polyethylene sheath. This covering provides protection against the aggressive environments often found in the fields of operation. It also adds a definite aesthetic aspect to all or part of the flexible support bracket so that it fits into a specific environment.
The entire antenna bracket, including the rubber or polyethylene covering, is painted in a colour to meet customer specifications for the field of operation concerned. The colour can be NATO green, desert sand or black.
The selection of materials combined with manufacturing processes designed and implemented by ABEILLON, cater to the production of antenna supports capable of resisting harsh conditions. In addition, they have the ability to support a static load in a fixed spatial position while maintaining the mechanical properties, even after many bending cycles.
At the customer’s request, we can apply a marking to the covering. The only constraint is that our customers must provide us with their text or drawing.
Abeillon, a French company supplying the NATO equipment industries
Our industrial site benefits from a machine inventory dedicated to:
- the manufacture of springs,
- the manufacture of semi-rigid flexible gooseneck tube bars,
- the implementation of several cutting and end preparation processes,
- assembly by crimping or welding
and places particular importance on the finishing of the products by implementing processes like painting, sheathing, and marking.
Our qualified personnel have extensive know-how for managing these means of production on a daily basis.
The production capacity is up to 200,000 parts per year, for all areas combined, and thanks to robust manufacturing processes.
ABEILLON can propose antenna brackets from among an extensive database of existing products. It also designs, manufactures and distributes new products corresponding to the latest technological developments in radiocommunication.
The engineering team listens to its customers. It adapts the design of existing products or designs new products that meet the specific needs of each case of use in the field of operations.