User's Manual

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6.
Antenna selection
The antenna is one of the most important components of a wireless
communication system. The right antenna will maximize the coverage area of
the RIM 902M.
The antenna that you choose should complement the needs of your specific
project. There are many different antenna types and options that will meet your
engineering and user requirements while remaining within budget constraints.
We strongly recommend the use of an experienced antenna provider in order to
realize the highest gain possible. A well-designed antenna solution will
maximize efficiency, coverage area, and battery life.
Selecting an antenna
Antenna manufacturers have designed and manufactured a wide variety of
antennas for use on the Mobitex network, and for other RF systems operating in
the 900 MHz range. RIM does not recommend specific antennas because the
choice of antenna is application dependent.
The performance of an antenna depends on its configuration and environment:
the same antenna will behave differently in one device than in another device,
even if both devices use the same RIM 902M radio modem. For example,
magmount antennas include a magnetic base that allows the antenna to clamp
onto a metal surface. This surface is called a ground plane, and reflects
electromagnetic radiation that would otherwise be lost to the antenna. This