Base Station Antenna | 4G LTE & 5G NR Panel Antenna | 820-3600MHz, 4-12 Port
RF element builds base station antennas for macro and rooftop sites: thirteen carrier-grade panel models covering 820-960 MHz, 1710-2170 MHz and 3.4-3.6 GHz 5G NR, with 4 to 12 ports of ±45° cross polarization and integrated RET.
Every panel is factory calibrated for PIM of -107 dBm or better at 2 x 43 dBm, uses 7/16 DIN or N-type connectors, and is rated for 200 km/h wind. Send us your band mix, port count and downtilt range, and we will match the model and quote samples in 3-5 days.
Specifications
A base station antenna decides the shape of a cell: gain sets the reach, beamwidth sets the sector width, and downtilt decides where the energy lands.Thirteen panel models cover 820-960 MHz, 1710-2170 MHz and 3400-3600 MHz for 5G NR, from a 4-port rural unit to a 12-port tri-band panel.
Electrical and Mechanical Specifications
| Model | Frequency (MHz) | Ports | Gain (dBi) | RET range | Max power | Connectors | Dimensions (mm) | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 800 MHz 4-port 15 dBi | 820-960 | 4 | 15 | 0-10° | 250 W | 4 x 7/16 DIN | 1450 x 446 x 165 | 18 kg |
| 800 MHz 4-port 17 dBi | 820-960 | 4 | 17 | 0-10° | 250 W | 4 x 7/16 DIN | 2000 x 446 x 165 | 21 kg |
| 2 GHz 4-port 18 dBi | 1710-2170 | 4 | 18 | 0-10° | 200 W | 4 x 7/16 DIN | 1450 x 270 x 140 | 11 kg |
| 2 GHz 6-port 18 dBi | 1710-2170 | 6 | 18 | 0-10° | 200 W | 6 x 7/16 DIN | 1520 x 380 x 130 | 16 kg |
| 2 GHz 8-port 18 dBi | 1710-2170 | 8 | 18 | 0-10° | 200 W | 8 x 7/16 DIN | 1600 x 499 x 164 | 22 kg |
| 800 MHz plus 2 GHz 4+4 | 820-960 / 1710-2170 | 4+4 | 17 / 18 | 0-10° | 350 / 200 W | 8 x 7/16 DIN | 2000 x 446 x 165 | 24 kg |
| 800 MHz plus 2 GHz 4+6 | 820-960 / 1710-2170 | 4+6 | 16 / 17 | 0-10° | 250 / 200 W | 10 x 7/16 DIN | 2000 x 446 x 165 | 28 kg |
| 800 MHz plus 2 GHz 4+8 | 820-960 / 1710-1880 / 1920-2170 | 4+8 | 16 / 17 / 17 | 0-10° | 250 / 200 / 200 W | 12 x 7/16 DIN | 2000 x 499 x 199 | 32 kg |
| 2 GHz shaped 8-port | 1710-1880 / 1920-2170 | 8+cal | 15.5-16 (service beam 20 at 0°) | 2-12° ±1° | 80 W at 50°C | 9 x N-type | 1600 x 355 x 165 | 16 kg |
| 3.5 GHz shaped 8-port | 3400-3600 | 8+cal | 16.5 (service beam 22.5 at 0°) | 2-12° ±1° | 80 W at 50°C | 9 x N-type | 1000 x 270 x 140 | 23 kg |
| 2 GHz plus 3.5 GHz shaped 4+8 | 1710-2170 / 3400-3600 | 4+8 | 16.5 / 16.5 (service beam 22 at 0°) | 2-12° | 80 W (3.5 GHz) | 4 x 7/16 DIN plus cluster | 1790 x 270 x 140 | 16 kg |
| Tri-band shaped 4+4+8 | 820-960 / 1710-2170 / 3400-3600 | 4+4+8 | 16 / 17 / 16.5 | 2-12° (3.5 GHz) | 80 W (3.5 GHz) | DIN plus cluster | 2100 x 446 x 165 | 23 kg |
| Tri-band shaped 4+6+8 | 820-960 / 1710-2170 / 3400-3600 | 4+6+8 | 16 / 17.5 / 16.5 | 2-12° (3.5 GHz) | 80 W (3.5 GHz) | DIN plus cluster | 2100 x 446 x 165 | 27 kg |
Radomes are grey UPVC, fiberglass on the high-power and shaped-beam versions. Clamps fit 50-115 mm poles.
What Is a Base Station Antenna?
A base station antenna is the sector panel on a macro tower that radiates and receives the site carrier signals. Columns of ±45° cross-polarized radiators form the pattern, so 2 columns give 4 ports, 3 give 6 and 4 give 8. The panel is passive and adds no power: gain compresses the beam, tilt aims it, and the front-to-back ratio keeps it out of the neighbouring cell. For pattern options, see our 65 vs 90 degree sector antenna analysis.
Base Station Antenna Types: Panel, Sector and Omnidirectional
| Type | Horizontal pattern | Typical gain | Where it fits | In this family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panel | 65° fixed beam | 15-18 dBi | One face of a sectorized macro site | All thirteen models |
| Sector | 65° or 90°, one face | 15-18 dBi | Three or six faces around one mast | Same panels, three per site |
| Omnidirectional | 360° in azimuth | 2-6 dBi | Isolated rural site, small cell | Separate omni range |
Is a sector antenna the same as a panel antenna?
In practice, yes. A sector antenna is a directional panel specified for a sectorized site: three at 120° spacing or six at 60°. The hardware is the same 65° panel; what changes is the mounting plan. 65° is the default because three faces leave only a narrow overlap at the sector edges. For an isolated site with light traffic, a 360° omni replaces the three-panel plan at lower gain; our 4G LTE antenna selection guide works through that decision.
Frequency Bands and 3GPP Band Numbers
Procurement documents say B5, B8, B3, B1 or n78 rather than 800 MHz, so the antenna is checked against band numbers first.
| Common name | Band edges (MHz) | 3GPP bands inside | Typical role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 800 MHz | 824-960 | B5 (850), B8 (900) | Coverage layer, rural and suburban, NB-IoT |
| 1800 MHz | 1710-1880 | B3 | LTE capacity layer, the most widely used mid band |
| 1900 MHz | 1850-1995 | B2, B25 | Americas LTE deployments |
| 2100 MHz | 1920-2170 | B1 | LTE capacity, UMTS refarming |
| 3.5 GHz | 3400-3600 | n78, centre block | 5G NR capacity layer |
Which frequency bands does this family cover?
820 MHz to 3.6 GHz. Low band 820-960 MHz covers B5 and B8, mid band 1710-2170 MHz covers B3, B2 and B1, and the 3.5 GHz models cover 3400-3600 MHz, the centre of n78. Anything outside those ranges - 700 MHz for B28, 2600 MHz for B7, n78 above 3.6 GHz - is quoted as a custom band plan on the same platform.
Port Count and MIMO Configuration: 4, 6, 8 and 12 Ports
Port count is set by the radio: each column carries two polarizations, so columns decide both ports and MIMO layers.
| Ports | Array layout | MIMO | Radio it matches | Models here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 columns, dual polarized | 4x4 | 2T2R or 4T4R RRU | 800 MHz 15 and 17 dBi, 2 GHz 18 dBi |
| 6 | 3 columns, dual polarized | 4x4 to 6x6 | 4T4R, 6T6R | 2 GHz 6-port |
| 8 | 4 columns, dual polarized | 4x4 or 8x8 | 4T4R, 8T8R | 2 GHz 8-port, shaped 8-port |
| 12 | 4 low band plus 8 mid band | 4x4 low, 8x8 mid | Dual-band RRU | 800 plus 2 GHz 4+8 |
What is the difference between 4+4, 4+6 and 4+8?
The numbers count ports per band, not total ports. A 4+8 has 4 low-band ports plus 8 mid-band ports split across 1710-1880 and 1920-2170, 12 connectors in total. Low band stays at 4 because a low-band column is physically wide; extra mid-band columns add MIMO layers and gain. Standard models use 7/16 DIN at 250 W per port, and shaped-beam models use N-type on the service and calibration ports.
Horizontal Beamwidth: 65, 90 and 120 Degree Sectors
| Beamwidth | Faces for 360° | Overlap | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 65° | 3 at 120° spacing | 5-10° | Macro sites, the standard plan |
| 90° | 4 at 90° spacing | 5° | Fewer faces, wider coverage per face |
| 120° | 3 at 120° spacing | Minimal | Low capacity, small sites |
The classic panels are 65° because most macro plans are built around three faces. The shaped-beam models instead form a narrow service beam at boresight for the beamforming radio. For 90° faces, the sector panels in our 4G LTE antenna range cover the same bands with a wider pattern.
Choosing by Deployment: Macro, Rooftop and Rural
| Site scenario | What the site needs | Recommended model |
|---|---|---|
| Urban macro, LTE plus 5G overlay | Low, mid and 3.5 GHz in one radome | Tri-band 4+4+8, 2100 mm |
| Urban macro with 4x4 mid band | More mid-band columns, higher gain | Tri-band 4+6+8, 2100 mm |
| Suburban macro, two layers | Low band coverage plus mid band capacity | 800 plus 2 GHz 4+4, 2000 mm |
| Rural wide area | Maximum low-band gain, 2T2R or 4T4R | 800 MHz 4-port 17 dBi, 2000 mm |
| Rural site, high wind | Lower wind area, same port count | 800 MHz 4-port 15 dBi, 1450 mm |
| Rooftop, space constrained | Short mid-band panel, low visual impact | 2 GHz 4-port 18 dBi, 1450 mm |
| 5G capacity overlay | Beamforming radio with calibration | 3.5 GHz shaped 8-port, 1000 mm |
| Private LTE or 5G, port or mine | One band, one sector count, owned radio | 2 GHz 4-port 18 dBi |
| Highway or rail corridor | Long, narrow cell along one axis | 800 MHz 4-port 17 dBi |
The highest gain is not the default answer: 17 dBi suits a rural mast with an 8 km cell edge and is wrong on a rooftop 600 m deep.
Integrated RET and Calibration
Every model has an RET module inside the radome, so downtilt is set from the network operations centre without a tower climb. Classic panels cover 0-10°, shaped-beam panels 2-12° at ±1°, and mechanical tilt adds up to 12°. The shaped-beam models also carry a calibration port with -26 ±2 dB coupling so 4T4R and 8T8R radios hold beamforming calibration over temperature and frequency.
Platform Features Across the Family
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| PIM (third order) | -107 dBm or better at 2 x 43 dBm, two-tone carrier |
| VSWR | 1.5 or lower |
| Port-to-port isolation | 25 dB or better |
| Front-to-back ratio | 25 dB or better |
| Cross-polarization discrimination | 15 dB or better at 0°, 8 to 10 dB at ±60° |
| Lightning protection | DC-ground on all ports |
| Operating temperature | -40°C to +60°C (survival -55°C to +75°C) |
| Rated wind speed | 200 km/h with the antenna mounted |
| Impedance | 50 ohms |
| Radome | grey UPVC or fiberglass |
Low PIM matters most where antennas share a mast with receive-sensitive equipment; our low PIM antenna overview explains how it is controlled.
Installation, Wind Load and PIM Verification
| Check | Target at handover |
|---|---|
| Mounting pole | 50-115 mm clamp range, bracket square to the mast |
| Mechanical tilt | 0-12°, added on top of the electrical tilt |
| Azimuth | Set to the RF plan, checked on both sector edges |
| VSWR | 1.5 or lower on every port |
| PIM, third order | -107 dBm or better at 2 x 43 dBm |
| Connector torque | To the datasheet value, rechecked after the feeder is dressed |
| Grounding | DC-ground on all ports bonded to the tower ground |
| Wind rating | 200 km/h with the antenna mounted, bracket included |
PIM is the check most often skipped: a connector at the wrong torque or an unsealed joint can raise third-order intermodulation by 15-20 dB and desensitize the receive path without showing in a VSWR sweep. Wind load is the other number to confirm before the climb, because the bracket and tower face carry that load rather than the radome.
Ordering, Customization and Documentation
Connector type, radome colour, mounting bracket, packing and branding are configurable for OEM orders, and band edges can move within the tuning range when a licence sits at the edge of a standard block. Samples ship in 3 to 5 days and production in 15 to 25 working days. An RFQ that gets a fast answer lists band edges, port count per band, gain, tilt range, connector type and quantity: send those to our contact page.
FAQ — Base Station Antenna
What is the Base Station Antenna used for?
What frequency band does the Base Station Antenna cover?
What are the key specifications of the Base Station Antenna?
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