FAQ - MCS + Filter, Combiners & Amplifiers

FAQ - Filter, Combiners & Amplifiers

Does KATHREIN also supply Boosters or GMAs (Ground Mounted Amplifiers)?

GMAs have essentially the same functionality as TMAs. However, GMAs have the distinct disadvantage of being mounted at the foot of the mast which is often a considerable distance from the receiving antenna system. The Rx signal will be subject to additional losses due to the length of RF feeder cable between the receiving antenna and the GMA. Hence any noise created on the RF path from the antenna to the GMA will be amplified together with the reduced Rx signal. The overall Signal-to-Noise ratio of the system is thereby reduced. For this reason KATHREIN does not recommend deployment of GMAs, however, TMAs can theoretically also be used for this type of application.

Boosters increase the output power on the transmitting radio link from the Base Station (downlink). The uplink/ downlink balance is of paramount importance when designing a mobile communications site. Care should be taken to ensure that the cell coverage is not biased in favour of either the downlink or the uplink. Generally the downlink from the Base Station to the end-user is not the cause of concern. On the contrary, the uplink from the end-user to the Base Station is more often the reason for dropped calls. In particular, the Base Station may lose end-users located at the edge of the cell due to poor uplink performance. Hence, the deployment of TMAs is much more predominant in the rollout of mobile communication networks. KATHREIN does not supply Boosters.

KATHREIN-Werke KG Rosenheim