RFUANZ, in association with ARCIA, will deliver a one-day course on Land Mobile Radio: Antenna and Transmission Line Fundamentals and Testing - spaces are limited, so secure your place early to avoid missing out.

Delivered by Chris Stevens, Managing Director, CartGIS, this hands-on course is ideal for anyone working with or around radio communications systems, providing a solid foundation in LMR principles, antenna behaviour, transmission line performance, and practical testing techniques.

This course is designed for students (individuals) new to the radio / critical communication industry. A knowledge of basic radio communications and frequency concepts would be advantageous. With both theory and practical elements, this course is useful for those who need a refresher, as it is for those at an earlier stage in their career.

This course introduces the student to land mobile radio base station antenna fundamentals. Modules include land mobile radio antenna systems and transmission line theory. Students will acquire theory and practical understanding of setup, calibration of antenna test units and how to interpret results.

Each participant must complete an assessment on the day with a 75% pass rate to obtain an RFUANZ certificate of competence.

Sign up to become an RFUANZ Member and save.

Date: Tuesday, 18 August 2026

Time: 9:00 am- 5:00 pm (NZST)

Trainer: Chris Stevens, CartGIS

Cost: RFUANZ Member = $960* +GST; Non-member = $1200* +GST (Ticket prices are in AUD)

Venue: Tait Communications, Kauri Room

Address: 245 Wooldridge Road, Harewood, Christchurch

———————————————————————————————————————————

Course Outline

Radio Antenna Systems

What is an antenna
How antennas work
Antenna Types
Antenna radiation patterns
Antenna Gain
ERP and EIRP and calculations
Antenna Characteristics (Bandwidth, front-to-back, Sidelobes, nulls etc)
Antenna Polarisation
Antenna Resonance
Common Antenna Configuration

Transmission Lines

What is a transmission line?
Skin effect
Attenuation
Return Loss and VSWR
Transmission line characteristics (bend radius, power, ratings etc.)

Antenna and Transmission Line Testing

Understanding an Antenna Test Unit
Test unit set up and calibration
Return Loss / SWR Test Set Up
Interpreting Return Loss / SWR Test
Distance to Fault Test Set Up
Interpreting Distance to Fault Test

Practical

Set up Antenna Test Unit for use, including
- Ports identification
- Calibration
- Frequency limits
- Markers
- Cable Type
- Velocity
- Distance Limits
- Frequencies
Test VSWR / Return Loss
- Using multiple antennas and different feeders
- Interpret results
Test Distance to Fault
- Using multiple antennas and different feeders
- Interpret results

More information on this course can be found on RFUANZ's website >>

———————————————————————————————————————————

*Prices represented in AUD.

Contact the host of Land Mobile Radio: Antenna and Transmission Line Fundamentals and Testing - Christchurch 18 August 2026