 - A whip antenna is a single-element antenna that can be used with anunbalanced feed line such as coaxial cable,or attached directly to a wirelesstransmitter, receiver, or transceiver. The whip resembles a ground-plane antenna without the radial system.The short, flexible "rubber duck" antennas found on handheld two-wayradios and cell phones are examples of whip antennas. So are the long, flexible,stainless-steel antennas used in Citizens Band mobile installations. Some portablewhip antennas can be telescoped down to a length of only few inches for transport andstorage, and extended to several feet for operation.Assets of the whip antenna include electrical and mechanical simplicity. Littleor no installation is necessary. But, because most whip antennas are operated with apoor electrical ground system, they are usually inefficient. A whip directlyconnected to a transmitter radiates radio-frequency (RF) energy into the immediateoperating environment. This may cause nearby electronic apparatus (including medicaldevices) to malfunction. Whip antennas used with handheld radios and cell phonessubject the human body, especially the head and hands, to strong electromagnetic fields. This has givenrise to uncertainty about the biological safety of whip antennas directly connected to handheld transceivers. In high-powered or long-range wireless communications, substantial outdoor antennas,used with well-engineered feed systems, work much better than whip antennas. Inaddition, when a transmitting antenna is placed at a distance from humans and electronicequipment, the potential electromagnetic hazard is minimized.
 |
Learn more about Mobile Basics |
| CDMA2000: A 3G mobile technology: CDMA2000 is a 3G mobile technology that includes 1xRTT, EV-DO Rev 0, EV-DO Rev A and EV-DO Rev B, and it competes with GSM technologies. |
| CDMA technology: An understanding of CDMA technology is critical for mobile managers when they are trying to select the best cellular solution for their enterprise mobile strategy. |
| An introduction to Android for mobile application development: Introducing Android, Chapter 1, from 'Android Wireless Application Development,' explores the benefits this open source platform brings to mobile application development. |
| Nokia versus Apple: Rumors are hot and heavy that Nokia will soon launch a competitor to iTunes. This raises some very interesting questions that are addressed in this analyst report. |
| The IT Guy: Mobility -- It's a beach: In this episode of "The IT Guy," a mobile worker finds that his devices (wireless laptop, glare-free screen and PDA) don't guarantee a seamless outdoor work experience. |
| LAST UPDATED: |
11 Apr 2003
|
 |
Do you have something to add to this definition? Let us know.
Send your comments to techterms@whatis.com
|
 |
 |
| |
RELATED CONTENT
 |
CDMA technology
An understanding of CDMA technology is critical for mobile managers when they are trying to select the best cellular solution for their enterprise...
|
|
CDMA2000: A 3G mobile technology
CDMA2000 is a 3G mobile technology that includes 1xRTT, EV-DO Rev 0, EV-DO Rev A and EV-DO Rev B, and it competes with GSM technologies.
|
|
Femtocell solutions: Key questions to ask before you invest
Femtocells can improve in-building cellular coverage, but there are several key factors you must consider and questions you should ask before you buy...
|
|
|
Show me everything on 
