Symbolise Communication, a POYNTING distributor based in the UAE, worked on an opportunity for one of their clients, a service organization for VVIP Yachts. Their requirement was to provide a Maritime Antenna Solution to optimize the 4G/5G connectivity to yachts. Like many yachts, clients aim to find the perfect balance between Satellite, 4G/5G and WiFi connectivity, trying to maximize speed, while minimizing latency and cost.

POYNTING offers a variety of solutions for the high-end Maritime applications, in particular the RIPPLE-8, RIPPLE-16 and WaveHunter™ antenna arrays and enclosures.

Because of the available 4G/5G Router with 8 antenna connections, the RIPPLE-8 was going to make an excellent solution.

The RIPPLE-8 is an omni-directional antenna solution designed specifically for the maritime industry. With its ultra-wideband coverage from 617 to 7200 MHz, the RIPPLE ensures reliable cellular connectivity in remote maritime regions. The solution features up to 8 x 8 MIMO cellular antennas, which are vertically and horizontally polarized omni-directional antennas, delivering improved performance and near-perfect radiation patterns.

The RIPPLE allows customers to install their own 5G routers, into the equipment bay with an overall size of 300 mm x 250 mm x 120 mm, offering flexibility and compatibility with most devices on the market. Aimed at luxury yachts and vessels of all sizes, RIPPLE revolutionizes connectivity at sea, providing enhanced performance, adaptability, and reliability.

To make an educated decision, the client compared the RIPPLE-8’s technical parameters with another brand available on the market.

After careful evaluation, the RIPPLE-8 was chosen, in particular because of:

• RIPPLE-8 is router agnostic, offering a compartment inside the antenna enclosure to install the router. This design guarantees minimum cable loss while guaranteeing a perfect operating environment even within hot tropical climates.
• POYNTING’s RIPPLE Antenna has a very effective heat dissipation system which prevents thermal runaway while ensuring that any router housed within stays well within its operating temperature range. *See Heat test results below.
• In terms of Wi-Fi, the RIPPLE supports 4 x 4 MIMO while antennas only support 2 x 2 MIMO.
• The maximum gain of the 5G antennas in the RIPPLE is 9.5dBi, surpassing other brands which max out a 6.0 or 6.5dBi. This additional 3dBi effectively doubles the range!
• The RIPPLE supports both vertical and horizontal polarization, facilitating better cross polarization MIMO.
• Most importantly the radiation pattern of the RIPPLE antenna is truly omni-directional, ensuring consistent signal coverage regardless of the vessel’s orientation relative to the 5G base station.

Summary

Based on these criteria, RIPPLE-8 was a clear winner and was chosen for installation on two Yachts. The antenna installation was smooth. Brackets are included for the Router installation and to keep it locked in place.