Abstract: An RF Connector and grounding device therefor comprises a driver, a contact ring and a spring clamp having a split ring washer disposed therebetween. The split ring washer interposes the driver on one side of the washer and the contact ring on the other side thereof and defines an aperture for receiving a prepared end of a coaxial cable. The washer is connected to one side of an annular ring while a shouldered flange is disposed on the opposing side of the ring. Upon delivering a compressive clamping force to a compression cap, the split ring washer is captured between adjacent peaks or corrugations of the outer conductor.

Abstract: An RF connector having an integral weather protection system for protecting the connector from water, ice, salt, debris and other foreign damage. The connector comprises a Weather Protection (WP) assembly circumscribing a connector body, which, in turn, sealably mounts to a coaxial cable. The WP assembly comprises a housing, a compliant sealing ring and a biasing element. The WP housing sealably mounts over an end of the connector body and defines an aperture at an opposite end thereof to receive the coaxial cable and facilitate axial translation of the housing relative to the connector body. The compliant sealing ring has an inwardly facing sealing surface which defines a diameter dimension. And, the biasing element is reconfigurable from an expanded to a collapsed state in response to axial displacement of the housing relative to the connector body.

Abstract: Disclosed is a RF connector that has a main body, a clamp, and a cap. The connector has an internal torque limiting mechanism that enables the connector to be installed in the field such that the connector is correctly positioned at the axial stop point of the RF cable during insertion. This is enabled by an internal preloaded cap/seal interface that requires a predetermined breakaway torque to cause the cap to rotate relative to the clamp. The breakaway torque is less than a torque that would be required to over-install the connector.

Abstract: A multiband antenna has a plurality of first, unit cells and second unit cells. Each first unit cell has two high band radiator clusters and two low band radiators disposed approximately in the center of each of the high band radiator clusters. Each second unit cell has two high band radiator clusters and one low band radiator that is disposed between the two high band radiator clusters. The first unit cell is designed for a superior low band gain pattern, and the second unit cell is designed for a superior high band gain pattern. By selectively arranging the first and second unit cells in a specific heterogeneous pattern, the characteristics of the two unit cells may advantageously and constructively combine to form a high performance antenna gain pattern that is consistent across the low band and high band.

Abstract: An omni-directional antenna including a plurality of stacked omni-directional antenna core assemblies. Each antenna core assembly comprises a conductive ground plane defining an axis normal to the ground plane and a plurality of conductive plates projecting orthogonally from the conductive ground plane and angularly spaced about the axis. Each of the plates defines an edge extending radially outboard from the central axis and diverging away from the conductive ground plane as the radial distance increases from the central axis. The edge defines a first region defining an acute angle relative to the conductive ground plane and a second region, radially outboard of the first region defining an arcuate shape.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for providing stable and reliable power to components on the top of a cell tower. The system performs a device discovery process to determine with Power Supply Units are connected to which Remote Radio Heads on the tower. It also provides several ways of characterizing the power cables and input capacitance to the Remote Radio Heads to provide optimal power to the Remote Radio Heads, including situations in which the power demand for the Remote Radio Heads increases, while obviating the need to replace the power cables with those of greater current capacity. Further, the system provides for stable power even in the presence of sensor instabilities and data dropouts.

Abstract: Disclosed is a phase shifter arrangement for an antenna, such as a cellular antenna, that has a simplified drive mechanism. The phase shifter arrangement has two phase shifters, each with two wiper arms that are coupled at one end to a single drive shaft. Each of the wiper arms have a pivot access that may be located at or near its center such that as the drive shaft translates, it mechanically engages both wiper arms, causing them to rotate around their respective pivot axes. Certain antenna arrangements have several array faces. For example, the antenna may have three array faces, each spaced at 120 degrees of azimuth. The drive shafts for each of these array faces may operate independently to function as a multisector antenna, or they may be driven in unison to function as an omnidirectional antenna.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and methods for creating and maintaining a virtual subnetwork of telecommunication base stations within a wider telecommunication network. In an LTE-based example, the subnetwork includes a connection aggregator that is coupled between the plurality of eNodeBs internal to the subnetwork and one or more MMEs in the outer network. The connection aggregator intercepts all control plane messages between the MMEs and the internal eNodeBs, remaps eNodeB identifiers, and transmits repackaged messages so that the outer network sees the entire subnetwork as a single “giant” eNodeB. The disclosed system and methods enables the operator of the virtual subnetwork to add and shut down eNodeBs as demand for connectivity fluctuates, and to do so such that all changes are unseen by the outer network.

Abstract: A cluster connector and cluster port for simultaneously engaging multiple RF connectors with a corresponding plurality of RF ports, wherein the cluster port may be coupled to an RF antenna or radio. The cluster port has a plurality of receiving interfaces wherein each of the receiving interfaces has an axial biasing element that enables simultaneous connection with a plurality of coupling interfaces, wherein each of the coupling interfaces is coupled to the end of an RF cable. The cluster connector of the disclosure also enables selective removal, replacement of one RF cable, and the corresponding coupling interface, without impacting other cables/coupling interfaces.

Abstract: A cluster connector and cluster port for simultaneously engaging multiple RF connectors with a corresponding plurality of RF ports, wherein the cluster port may be coupled to an RF antenna or radio. The cluster port has a plurality of receiving interfaces wherein each of the receiving interfaces has an axial biasing element that enables simultaneous connection with a plurality of coupling interfaces, wherein each of the coupling interfaces is coupled to the end of an RF cable. The cluster connector of the disclosure also enables selective removal, replacement of one RF cable, and the corresponding coupling interface, without impacting other cables/coupling interfaces.

Abstract: Disclosed is a low band dipole that has four dipole arms in a cross configuration, and a simplified cloaking structure to substantially prevent interference with radiated RF energy from nearby high band dipoles. Further disclosed is a feed network and dipole stem balun configuration that power divides and combines two distinct RF signals, without the use of a hybrid coupler, so that the four dipole arms collectively radiate the two RF signals respectively at a +45 degree and ?45 degree polarization orientation relative to the orientation of the dipole arms.

Abstract: A telecommunications antenna comprising a plurality of unit cells each including at least one radiator which transmits RF energy within a bandwidth range which is a multiple of another radiator. The radiators are proximal to each other such that a resonant condition may be induced into the at least one radiator upon activation of the other radiator. At least one of the radiators is segmented into capacitively-connected radiator elements to suppress a resonance response therein upon activation of the other of the radiator.

Abstract: Disclosed is a high performance low cost multiband antenna configuration that has a low band dipole having dipole arms formed of stamped sheet metal that has a plurality of slots. Some of the slots are oriented along a longitudinal axis of the low band dipole arm, and others are oriented orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. The presence of the slots creates a plurality of inductor structures, which act has cloaking structures that make the low band dipole substantially transparent to high band RF energy without inhibiting the performance of the dipole in the low band.

Abstract: A redundant over-voltage protection/power distribution system for a macro/distributed antenna telecommunications system. The overvoltage protection system includes first and second surge protection devices each having one end electrically connected to the power cable upstream of an RRU and a second end electrically connected to ground. The first and second surge protection devices issuing an alert signal when one of the devices is in a failed condition and changing state to provide the RRUs with uninterrupted power for continuous operation of the telecommunications system when one of the surge protection devices has failed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for providing stable and reliable power to components on the top of a cell tower. The system performs a device discovery process to determine with Power Supply Units are connected to which Remote Radio Heads on the tower. It also provides several ways of characterizing the power cables and input capacitance to the Remote Radio Heads to provide optimal power to the Remote Radio Heads, including situations in which the power demand for the Remote Radio Heads increases, while obviating the need to replace the power cables with those of greater current capacity. Further, the system provides for stable power even in the presence of sensor instabilities and data dropouts.

Abstract: Disclosed is a telecommunications antenna having a plurality of cloaked low band (LB) and high band (HB) dipoles. The LB and HB dipoles provide cloaking by breaking the dipoles into dipole segments, and providing conductive cloaking elements over the gaps between dipole segments to form a plurality of capacitors along the dipole. The capacitors along the LB dipoles provide a low impedance to LB RF signals and a high impedance to HB signals. The capacitors formed on the HB dipoles provide a low impedance to RF signals and high impedance to harmonics of the LB RF signals. This cross-cloaking of dipoles enables more dense arrangements of LB and HB dipoles on an antenna array face, providing opportunities to arrange, for example, the LB dipoles with an array factor that results in an advantageous fast roll off gain pattern.

Abstract: Disclosed is a phase shifter arrangement for an antenna, such as a cellular antenna, that has a simplified drive mechanism. The phase shifter arrangement has two phase shifters, each with two wiper arms that are coupled at one end to a single drive shaft. Each of the wiper arms have a pivot access that may be located at or near its center such that as the drive shaft translates, it mechanically engages both wiper arms, causing them to rotate around their respective pivot axes. Certain antenna arrangements have several array faces. For example, the antenna may have three array faces, each spaced at 120 degrees of azimuth. The drive shafts for each of these array faces may operate independently to function as a multisector antenna, or they may be driven in unison to function as an omnidirectional antenna.

Abstract: Disclosed is a virtual base station capable of hosting multiple network operators and/or private networks in a single compute environment. The virtual base station includes a plurality of virtual baseband processors configured to communicate with the plurality of mobile network operators, a supervisor module, a fronthaul network interface configured to be coupled to one or more remote units, and a KPI (Key Performance Indicator) coordinator module coupled to the supervisor module and the one or more virtual baseband processors. The base station may have on or more CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) Daemons to act as a proxy for obtaining grants to CBRS channels and allocating the CBRS channels to the mobile network operators.

Abstract: An RF Connector and grounding device therefor comprises a driver, a contact ring and a spring clamp having a split ring washer disposed therebetween. The split ring washer interposes the driver on one side of the washer and the contact ring on the other side thereof and defines an aperture for receiving a prepared end of a coaxial cable. The washer is connected to one side of an annular ring while a shouldered flange is disposed on the opposing side of the ring. Upon delivering a compressive clamping force to a compression cap, the split ring washer is captured between adjacent peaks or corrugations of the outer conductor.

Abstract: A productive housing for a coaxial cable connector comprising an elastomeric housing disposed over and engaging a connector and having a plurality of longitudinal slots formed into the inner mold line (IML) surface of the elastomeric housing. The longitudinal slots function to reduce the surface area of frictional engagement between the intermediate surface and the corresponding peripheral surface of the coaxial cable connector. The longitudinal slots serve as a longitudinal passageway for the movement of trapped air from one IML surface to another so as to prevent the built-up of air and/or inducing a pocket of suction resisting the separation of the housing from the jumper cable.