Electromagnetic Horn Antennas are fully integrated systems that are simple, rugged and require virtually no signal tuning. As a result, these designs are perfect for man-portable or transportation purposes. The system applies a pyramidal structure to the horn radiator to allow the signal to bounce forward. These systems produce a very wide signal pattern. As such, these designs are excellent solutions for navigation purposes where a large receiving footprint is desired.
Metal-plate Lens systems employ light aluminum wafers and can be fabricated on the fly. This configuration is very useful for mobile communications requirements. Typically a small radiator, or "horn," is pointed at the lens, which in turn produces a very narrow high-gain signal footprint. As a result these designs are sometimes referred to as "point and shoot" systems.
Semi-circular parabolic dishes offer an excellent way to produce signal strength for communications purposes. This antenna configuration has been shown to create up to a 30 percent increase in ambient radiated signal gain. While this expected gain increase is typical for these designs, there are limitations such as geographical location, and/or constraints associated with external factors such as local electromagnetic interference or physical structure blockages.