In northern climates, the buildup of ice or snow on antennas can be a problem for millimeter wave radio installations. These problems are twofold: the electrical effect of snow and ice built up on the antenna’s radome; and the mechanical impact of the additional weight of the snow or ice on the antenna and supporting structure.

The formation of ice or snow on the antennas radome can cause attenuation of the signal to the point where the link may become severely degraded or unusable. Uneven ice buildup can cause scattering of the signal, which in turn results in standing waves. For example, at 80 GHz, ice buildup less than 1mm thick (one-quarter wavelength at 80 GHz) may result in degraded performance of the link. Such thin layers are not likely to exist for extended periods, as ice tends to melt. In cold climates when the radome is below freezing temperature, ice does not stick to it, thus there is no issue. However in mixed rain-snow-ice storms, ice can stick to the radome, causing the link to operate at less than its optimal design.

Once the ice has hardened and freezes, the added weight of the ice on the antenna increases the wind load on the tower or mast, which may cause premature failure of the mounting structure. As ice breaks apart due to melting, or via its own weight, these large and heavy sheets falling down a tower or mast can cause damage to antennas or other objects mounted below.

BridgeWave introduces three ice shield kits designed to combat the buildup of ice on BridgeWave’s 60 GHz and 80 GHz wireless bridges. These inexpensive ice shields are designed to be easily fitted on radios with integrated antennas or radios with12″ or 24″ antennas. Refer to the tables below for the kit required for your particular application. Each kit contains the necessary materials for the installation of the ice shield on one radio. Two kits are required per link.