The original test of the 7mm antenna which seemed so promising was performed at a power level of 20. Our recent attempt to verify the results was performed at a power level of 5. In order to find out where we stand with the 7mm antenna, two additional tests were performed. The first was a replication of the power level 20 test. Second, a test was performed with an auxiliary ground plane beneath the antenna to see if there is a significant effect on performance.
The results of the first test:
And the results for the same test with an auxiliary ground plane attached:
Although the ground plane data seems a little cleaner, both sets of data appear to indicate that this antenna is capable of performing at the level we require. This would suggest that going foreword the 7mm antenna is the favorite for inclusion in the next generation of design. Also, we recognize that a higher transmit power provides cleaner data.