[From Beginner to Expert - WLAN Common Terms] Section 4 - Antenna Angle

Antenna angles include the azimuth and downtilt angles, which are formed between an antenna and the north and horizontal directions, respectively.

There are two antenna types by directionality: omnidirectional and directional antennas. An omnidirectional antenna receives or transmits signals in all horizontal directions. Therefore, angles of antennas usually refer to azimuth and downtilt angles of directional antennas, as shown in Figure 1.

A small antenna angle provides a high antenna gain. However, the key to selecting an antenna gain is to meet signal coverage requirements. The signal coverage range of an antenna can be controlled by adjusting the antenna azimuth and downtilt angles.

Related Concepts

• Azimuth angle: defined by a horizontal angle measured clockwise from north.
• Downtilt antenna: formed between an antenna and the horizontal plane.
• Lobe angle: angle between the points in the main lobe that are down from the maximum gain by 3 dB. For details, see Beamwidth.
• Antenna gain: ratio of the power density in a given direction to the power density of a reference antenna (using an ideal radiation source) in the same direction. For details, see Antenna Gain.