Do It Yourself: antenna test chamber
For the majority of microwave test applications, Comtest’s high performance polystyrene absorbers provide more than enough transfer attenuation to create a functioning chamber. RF shielding and precision gasket installation are therefore unnecessary. Because the resulting framed antenna test chamber consists of an easy to build lightweight frame and polystyrene absorber building blocks, it’s entirely possible to assemble this product yourself, making this an affordable and instructive ATR solution for schools, universities or companies on a budget.
Frame tech and absorbers
The DIY test range design approach is based on a lightweight easy-connect support system. The profiles are CNC pre-cut and individually labeled for easy handling during the assembly of the chamber. Standard mounting materials are used to connect the individual profiles. For extra stability the support frame can be mounted to the floor of the parent building. The frame technology can be applied to both small and larger antenna test ranges.
The modular design concept of our polystyrene absorbers is excellent for easy assembly, having separate baseplates and pyramids.
Chamber entrance
The doors are constructed in a very effective way resulting in the following features:
- Low force operation.
- Doors can be locked with a standard key-lock.
- Absorbers can be affixed to the door leaf.
- Both left and right sided hinges.
Up to customer preference we can include multiple entrance doors to gain easy access to antennas under test.
Easy to build
Comtest brings this innovative concept to the market as a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) building kit. The required materials are accompanied by an instruction manual and a set of drawings enabling you to build your own antenna test range.
If, however, you have doubts about assembling the range yourself, Comtest is more than willing to build the antenna test chamber for you on-site.
Shielding effectiveness
The expected shielding effectiveness of the antenna test chamber is approximately (depending on the applied absorber model):
- 40dB at 1 GHz.
- 60dB at 10 GHz.
Benefits of DIY antenna test chambers
Because of its robust and simple design, Comtest’s DIY chamber solution can be installed by your own facilities team for instance, using basic tools. This makes it ideal for companies with smaller budgets or teaching institutions that can use the assembly process to create an active and instructive exercise for a semester.
Contact us
Do you want to know more about Comtest’s DIY chamber kits or what’s needed to assemble them? Get in touch with our consultants.