Abstract: A wiper-type phase shifter with a cantilever shoe that ensures that the electrical contact on the wiper arm remains in electrical communication with the transmission trace located on the antenna backplane without relying to an element, such as a spring-loaded set screw, that passes through the backplane. The cantilever shoe thus provides a wiper hold-down mechanism without requiring holes or slots through the backplane, which could allow rain or other elements to get inside the antenna enclosure. A dual-polarization antenna that includes a wiper-type phase shifter for each polarization. The wiper arms define gear portions that engage each other, which allows a single actuator, typically located on the rear of the backplane opposite the location of the wiper arms, to drive both wiper arms in a coordinated manner. The antenna is suitable for use as a wireless base station antenna.

Abstract: An antenna tower and support structure for use with an antenna tower, which allow a number of antennas or antenna panels to be mounted thereto, while maintaining the compactness of the overall structure and still providing high strength, such as is needed to resist high winds. The antenna tower includes an antenna support structure mounted to the antenna mast for supporting one or more antennas or antenna panels. The antenna support structure includes a bottom plate for mounting to the mast (or to another antenna support structure) and a top plate spaced from bottom plate. A beam with multiple webs extends between the bottom plate and the top plate. The beam includes a central post and a number of stiffening webs extending generally radially outwardly from the central post. The stiffening webs help to provide substantially greater stiffness against flexure and bending, without making the overall structure larger (or not much larger effectively).

Abstract: A dual-polarization wireless base station antenna that implements vertical electrical downtilt and sidelobe reduction using beam steering circuit that includes a variable power divider and a multi-beam beam forming network. The variable power divider includes a single adjustable control element to divide an input voltage signal into a pair of complimentary amplitude voltage drive signals that exhibit matched phase and constant phase delay through the variable power divider. The beam forming network is configured as a double-sided, edge-connected microstrip module mounted to a main panel, which support the antenna elements in a vertical column organized into sub-arrays in a manner that implements sidelobe reduction. The power distribution network connecting the beam steering network to the antenna elements implements beam tilt bias and sidelobe reduction through coordinated phase shifting implemented through transmission media trace length adjustment.