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Antenna Utilities

Antenna Selector

Browse, filter, and compare twenty plus antenna archetypes for RF system design. From dipoles and Yagi arrays to sector panels, parabolic dishes, GNSS choke rings, and horn antennas, with side by side performance comparison.

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Top bar with the Browser, Calculator, and Compare mode selector and the Compare badge.
Top bar with the Browser, Calculator, and Compare mode selector and the Compare badge.
Browser filters for frequency, gain, type, polarisation, and application.
Browser filters for frequency, gain, type, polarisation, and application.
Detailed antenna entry showing gain, HPBW, frequency range, polarisation, and applications.
Detailed antenna entry showing gain, HPBW, frequency range, polarisation, and applications.
Side by side comparison of up to three antennas with gain, HPBW, frequency, and polarisation.
Side by side comparison of up to three antennas with gain, HPBW, frequency, and polarisation.
Calculator mode with the seven antenna family selector and the frequency input.
Calculator mode with the seven antenna family selector and the frequency input.

Overview

Antenna selection is one of those tasks that looks simple until you actually do it. The catalogues are enormous. Vendor datasheets are inconsistent on what they include and how they express it. Some quote gain in dBi, others in dBd. Some publish a half power beamwidth, others only a typical pattern plot. Polarisation handling varies. The first time an engineer has to choose between a Yagi and a log periodic for amateur HF, or between a sector panel and a collinear omni for a private cellular site, or between an offset dish and a Cassegrain for a Ku band ground station, they end up cross referencing five datasheets and a textbook to make a defensible call.

The noIM₃ Antenna Selector collapses that workflow into a single decision tool. A curated database of more than twenty common antenna archetypes, each entry expressed with consistent gain units (dBi), half power beamwidth, polarisation, frequency coverage, and intended application. Filter by operating frequency, minimum gain, antenna type, polarisation, or application category, and the candidate list narrows in real time. Side by side comparison surfaces the trade offs between gain, beamwidth, frequency coverage, and polarisation across two or more candidates so the design discussion is grounded in numbers rather than vendor marketing.

An integrated parameter calculator switches the workspace from selection to derivation. Effective aperture, approximate beamwidth from gain, wavelength scaling, and physical to electrical relationships are all available without leaving the page. Application oriented profiles such as Cellular Base Station, Microwave Backhaul, VSAT Terminal, Weather Satellite RX, Amateur VHF and UHF, WiFi Point to Point, GNSS Precision, and Radar Reference give engineers a fast lane to the right archetype for the job, while preserving full manual control for unusual or specialised deployments.

Capabilities

Structured antenna database

Curated library covering half wave dipoles, quarter wave monopoles, Yagi Uda arrays from 3 to 10 elements, log periodic arrays, discone wideband, sector panels (65 and 90 degree), collinear omnis, microstrip patch antennas, axial mode helicals, turnstiles, pyramidal horns, parabolic dishes from 0.3 m to 1.2 m, GNSS choke rings, and corner reflectors. Each entry expresses gain, frequency range, beamwidth, polarisation, and typical application domains in a consistent format.

Frequency, gain, and polarisation filtering

Filter the database by operating frequency in MHz or GHz, minimum gain in dBi, antenna type, polarisation (linear, linear vertical, circular, RHCP, dual slant), and intended application. Filtering is dynamic, so the candidate list narrows in real time as constraints are added and you can see immediately whether the requirement set is achievable.

Application based search

Predefined application profiles for Cellular Base Station, Microwave Backhaul, VSAT Terminal, Weather Satellite RX, Amateur VHF and UHF, WiFi Point to Point, GNSS Precision, Radar Reference, and SDR Monitoring. Each profile pre populates a sensible starting filter set so engineers reach the right antenna archetype quickly without learning every parameter combination first.

Side by side comparison

Select two or more candidates and the comparison panel shows gain, half power beamwidth, frequency coverage, polarisation, directivity, and application suitability across all of them simultaneously. Useful for link budget optimisation, infrastructure planning, and producing the comparison evidence that goes into a design decision record.

Integrated parameter calculator

Switch from selection to derivation without leaving the workspace. Compute effective aperture, approximate beamwidth from gain, wavelength scaling, and physical to electrical relationships. Useful when evaluating frequency changes against an existing antenna, or when validating a vendor datasheet against the underlying antenna physics.

Engineering grade reference data

All gain values are in dBi (not dBd, which is a different reference and a common cause of selection errors when comparing across vendors). Half power beamwidth is the consistent beamwidth metric. Polarisation is explicit. Frequency ranges reflect typical operational limits for each antenna class. Suitable for preliminary system design, education, and producing antenna shortlists for vendor RFQs.

Browser only operation

Runs entirely in your browser. No design parameters, candidate selections, or comparison data are submitted to a server. Useful for commercially sensitive cellular and broadcast infrastructure work, defence and security installations, or environments where information security policy prohibits sending engineering data to third party services.

Standards & methodology

  • IEEE 145. Standard definitions of terms for antennas
  • ITU R BO.1213. Reference radiation patterns for satellite earth station antennas
  • ETSI EN 302 217. Fixed radio systems antenna characteristics for fixed point to point links
  • 3GPP TS 36.104 antenna reference patterns for cellular base stations
  • ACMA radiocommunications licence conditions referencing antenna performance

When to use this tool

  • Selecting antennas for LTE, 5G, and private cellular networks
  • Designing microwave and point to point wireless links
  • Choosing Yagi or log periodic arrays for amateur radio operation
  • Evaluating parabolic dishes for satellite communications and VSAT terminals
  • Identifying GNSS antennas for geodetic and precision positioning systems
  • Comparing omni and directional antennas for coverage planning
  • Teaching antenna theory and pattern trade offs to RF engineering students
  • Producing antenna shortlists for vendor RFQs on infrastructure projects
  • Sanity checking vendor proposed antennas against application requirements
  • Validating that a candidate antenna meets ACMA licence performance conditions
  • Choosing antennas for SDR monitoring and spectrum measurement deployments
  • Selecting antennas for weather satellite reception and amateur satellite ground stations

Is this the right tool for you?

Reach for the Antenna Selector in any of the following situations.

  • You are designing a cellular base station, private LTE, or 5G site and need to choose between sector panels and the alternatives at the operating frequency and gain you require.
  • You are planning a microwave or millimetre wave point to point link and need a parabolic dish in the right diameter and gain class for the path budget.
  • You are an amateur radio operator picking between a Yagi, log periodic, or vertical for HF, VHF, or UHF operation and want a structured comparison rather than a forum debate.
  • You are designing a VSAT or satellite terminal and need to compare offset feed dishes, prime focus dishes, and Cassegrain configurations for Ku, Ka, or C band.
  • You are building a GNSS reference station or precision positioning system and need a choke ring or geodetic antenna with the right multipath rejection and polarisation handling.
  • You are coordinating coverage for a private network, public safety, or industrial site and need to choose between an omni collinear and a directional sector for each tower.
  • You are responsible for an SDR monitoring or spectrum surveillance deployment and need wideband antennas (discone, log periodic, biconical) that cover the bands of interest.
  • You are producing an antenna shortlist for a vendor RFQ on an infrastructure project and need a defensible, structured comparison to attach to the procurement document.
  • You are sanity checking a vendor proposed antenna against the actual application requirements and want an independent classification of gain, beamwidth, and polarisation.
  • You are validating that a candidate antenna meets the performance conditions on an ACMA radiocommunications licence and need engineering grade reference data.
  • You are choosing antennas for a weather satellite ground station or amateur satellite earth station and need RHCP or LHCP candidates that match the satellite polarisation.
  • You are training new RF engineers in antenna selection and want a teaching tool that exposes the trade offs between gain, beamwidth, polarisation, and frequency coverage.
  • You are evaluating a frequency band change on an existing site and need to know which antenna types can credibly cover the new band at the gain you need.
  • You are choosing between linear and circular polarisation for a deployment and need to compare candidates that support each option directly.
  • You are operating under a security regime that prohibits sending design data to third party services and need an antenna selector that runs entirely in your browser.

Frequently asked questions

How many antenna types are in the database?

More than twenty common archetypes covering dipoles, monopoles, Yagi Uda arrays from 3 to 10 elements, log periodic arrays, discone wideband, sector panels in 65 and 90 degree azimuth widths, collinear omnis, microstrip patch antennas, axial mode helicals, turnstiles, pyramidal horns, parabolic dishes from 0.3 m to 1.2 m, GNSS choke rings, and corner reflectors. Each entry has consistent gain, beamwidth, polarisation, and frequency range data.

What units are used for gain?

All gain values are in dBi (decibels referenced to an isotropic radiator). This is the consistent reference used by IEEE 145, ITU recommendations, and most professional antenna engineering. Beware that some manufacturer datasheets quote gain in dBd (referenced to a half wave dipole), which differs from dBi by 2.15 dB. The selector uses dBi throughout to remove this as a source of comparison error.

Which polarisations are supported?

Linear (horizontal or vertical, often labelled simply linear), linear vertical for omnidirectional verticals, circular (sense unspecified), right hand circular polarisation (RHCP) commonly used for GPS and amateur satellite, and dual slant (plus or minus 45 degrees) common in cellular sector panels for cross polarisation diversity.

How do I filter by application?

Application profiles cover Cellular Base Station, Microwave Backhaul, VSAT Terminal, Weather Satellite RX, Amateur VHF and UHF, WiFi Point to Point, GNSS Precision, Radar Reference, and SDR Monitoring. Each profile pre populates a sensible starting filter set (frequency range, minimum gain, polarisation, antenna type) so you reach the right archetype quickly. Manual filtering remains available for unusual deployments.

What does side by side comparison actually show?

For each selected candidate, the comparison panel shows gain in dBi, half power beamwidth in degrees, frequency coverage, polarisation, directivity, and application suitability. The intent is to make trade offs explicit. A 17 dBi 90 degree sector panel and a 12 dBi 360 degree collinear omni cover very different deployment scenarios and the comparison view makes the difference obvious to a non specialist stakeholder.

How does the integrated parameter calculator work?

Switch from selection to calculator mode without leaving the workspace. Enter operating frequency and the calculator returns wavelength, effective aperture, and approximate beamwidth from gain. Useful when evaluating frequency changes against an existing antenna, or when sanity checking a vendor datasheet against the underlying antenna physics.

How is this different from the Parabolic Antenna Calculator and the Antenna Builder?

The Antenna Selector is the right tool for shortlisting antenna archetypes against application requirements. The Parabolic Antenna Calculator is the deeper tool for parabolic dish gain, beamwidth, and aperture analysis once you have decided on a dish. The Antenna Builder is the full antenna pattern modelling environment for building a specific design with detailed elevation and azimuth response. Use the selector for shortlisting. Use the parabolic calculator for dish detail. Use the builder for full pattern work.

Does any data leave my browser?

No. The selector runs entirely in your browser. No design parameters, candidate selections, or comparison data are submitted to a server. Useful for commercially sensitive cellular and broadcast infrastructure work, defence and security installations, or environments where information security policy prohibits sending engineering data to third party services.