What Are Gooseneck Antennas?
There is no strict technical definition of a gooseneck antenna, but the general perspective is that a gooseneck antenna is an antenna with a flexible base. In most cases such an antenna is a Gooseneck Omnidirectional Antenna, that often has a base that is not only flexible but can be repositioned by hand. This is not always the case, as some gooseneck antennas or antenna adapters that convert a standard dipole antenna to a gooseneck only have a flexible spring base. Gooseneck antennas for manpak or man-portable applications tend to be of the re-positionable type, where gooseneck antennas for other mobility applications may have a spring base. The purpose of a spring or flexible base is to aid with absorbing shock and vibration that might otherwise degrade the performance of the antenna. In the case of a repositionable gooseneck antenna, the flexibility allows for the radiating element of the antenna to be moved into a more ideal position. This could be to avoid obstructions with a pack, to prevent cosite interference with other antennas, to enhance the link gain, or to move the antenna out of the way of a user.
Gooseneck antennas are generally cylindrical, which makes them compact and more rugged than flat or panel shaped antennas. The flexible section and radome for these antennas are often also ruggedized and made to withstand harsh environments. Gooseneck antennas can be made for typical low frequency and narrowband voice communications, such as at 27 MHz, 144 MHz, 155 MHz, 460 MHz, or for higher frequency broadband applications to 2.7 GHz or higher. These antennas can be dual-band, multi-band, or wideband covering several frequency bands. The most common type of polarization for gooseneck antennas is vertical polarization.
It is also possible to convert non-gooseneck antenna to gooseneck-style antenna by using a spring barrel connector, such as the spring barrel N-type antenna connector. The benefit of this conversion is that the spring barrel is capable of dampening vibrations and shock that may otherwise damage an antenna or degrade performance while undergoing shock and vibration.
The most typical use of a gooseneck antenna is for manpak applications for government and defense applications. However, gooseneck antennas may also be used with personal radio equipment, ham radio, wireless broadcast cameras, wireless audio, and other mobile applications that may require ruggedized and compact antenna resilient to shock and vibration.
