Doing away with domes
UK, Teddington. SkyTech, a company active in the area of maritime and aeronautical satellite communications, is tackling the issue of how to integrate VSAT hardware on superyachts into a more aesthetically pleasing package.…
UK, Teddington. SkyTech, a UK-based company active in the area of maritime and aeronautical satellite communications, is tackling the issue of how to integrate VSAT hardware on superyachts into a more aesthetically pleasing package. Having launched its new range of Ku/Ka Dual-Band VSAT antennas that combine the global coverage of the standard Ku band (10-15 Ghz) and the high-frequency Ka band (20-30 Ghz) required by HD and 4K television, at METS last November the brand presented its ultra-compact VFlat Ku/Ka Dual-Band Phased Array antenna (check out the short video below).
“Designers have long desired to do away with conventional radomes, especially on fast planing yachts,” says Francesco Albertini, Skytech sales director. “Utilising new design and technologies, this is a product that will change the exterior styling of yachts in the future.”
Equipped with two independent flat-profile RF panels for Ku/Ka-band reception with a wide working range of 0–90 degree elevation and unlimited azimuthing capability, the extremely low profile of the antenna means it can installed into a custom-designed roll bar with a special RF transparent top layer. The whole compact package measures 70cm x 30cm and weighs in at just 27kg.
The technology to integrate telecommunication systems inside yacht superstructures has been surprisingly slow to emerge, so we have become accustomed to seeing unsightly domes plonked on top of otherwise sleek and streamlined profiles. This new product from Skytech might be one answer to the designer’s dream of domeless yachts.
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