Improved Connectivty for Port Terminals

Problem

Stevedores need surface-mounted antennas that send and receive reliable signals under non-line-of-sight (NLOS) conditions. When shipping containers and cranes obstruct communications and prevent signals from reaching a target directly, antennas can receive reflected angles from multiple angles, multiple times. That might not seem like a problem since wireless signals don’t just travel in one direction, but some antennas are more powerful in a specific direction. 

Multi-path, the arrival of reflected signals, can cause significant variations in the received signal or add to or subtract from it. Phase cancellation, the failure of two signals of the same frequency to reach a receiving antenna at the same time, can also limit a directional antenna’s effectiveness. For busy ports that need to manage traffic and provide access to berths and equipment, multi-path and phase cancellation can impede communications with mobile personnel.

Radio-equipped stevedores also need antennas with rugged enclosures. Whether these antennas are mounted on a forklift or other piece of material handling equipment, accidental contact with cranes or shipping containers could damage non-rugged enclosures. In addition, stevedores need antennas with durable enclosures that can withstand a range of outdoor weather conditions, including high humidity, and contact with fresh water and seawater.

Solution

When stevedores at a busy shipping terminal needed a complete solution, MP Antenna delivered. MP, a leading designer and manufacturer of antennas for port communications, supplied surface-mounted omni-directional antennas with rugged enclosures. When shipping containers or cranes get in the way, these American-made antennas can send or receive signals from more than one direction. Because these antennas are  multi-polarized, multi-path and phase cancellation are mitigated.

The antennas that MP provided mount readily to mobile equipment and work reliably under NLOS conditions, including high obstruction deployments. These surface-mounted antennas have a low profile, but they’re also equipped with an impact-resistant enclosure made of Delrin®, a tough, lightweight, and impact resistant plastic. Delrin® has low moisture absorption, a plus in humid environments, and also resists fresh water and seawater.

Unlike other antenna manufacturers, MP tests its products under demanding real-world conditions. That’s important at busy shipping terminals where the environment differs significantly from what’s found in a laboratory. Because MP’s antennas are made in Elyria, Ohio (USA), stevedores aren’t dependent on distant supply chains – a plus even for shipping terminals. To learn more about MP Antenna’s solutions for port communications, contact us.