[Tagging] antenna type

[Sergio Manzi]

Hello Warin,

I'm afraid we're opening a can of worms here, but you're right: something needs to be fixed, and here below I'm trying to contribute with some considerations...


The Wiki [1 <https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Tag:man_made%3Dantenna>] gives a very good definition of what an antenna is: an "/interface between radio waves and electrical signals in a transmission line/".

That interface can work in either or both directions:

  * *receiving *(/RX, radio waves to electrical signal/), like the TV antenna on the roof of an house or a radio-telescope.
  * *transmitting *(/TX, electrical signal to radio waves/), like the broadcasting antenna of a commercial TV or the transmitting antenna of a VOR radio direction navigation system.
  * *receiving/transmitting* (RX/TX, /both directions/), like those on the tower of a mobile telephone cell or a radar.

Not all antennas are *communication antennas*: communication antennas are for conveying information ("meaning") from one party to another (/and I would add  "in a bidirectional way" or we should call it a "*broadcasting antenna*", but I'm not totally sure about this latter specification/). Some other kind of non-communication antenna: the radio-telescope, the VOR, the radar.

For the above I think an *antenna:usage=** tag could be a correct tag, with values like: communication, broadcasting, radio-telescope, navigation, radar, measurement, ham_radio (/there is not such a thing as an "ham radio" antenna type, per se: hams make uses of a lot of different antenna types/).

As for the "type" of antennas, *there are **a lot*: monopole, dipole, mast radiator, whip, Yagi, Log-periodic, random wire, loop, quad, rhombic, helical, beverage, ground plane, collinear, traveling wave, curtain, horn, dish, etc., etc.

Furthermore there are some inaccuracies in the above (/a "dish" antenna is actually //a system//built from two components: a reflector, the dish, and the true antenna located in the focus of the dish reflector/) and possible complications (/you can have an array of antennas, like the array of four helical antennas pictured in the wiki page/).

I'm really unsure if it is worth to specify antenna types. Beside, I think most mappers will be unable to correctly identify antenna types.

A radom_*e*_ *is not an antenna*, but the weatherproof enclosure that protect an antenna.

In the wiki there is a lot of talking (/and some proposed tags/) about "transponders", but the term is used in an absolutely inaccurate and wrong meaning: a transponder is "/is a device that, upon receiving a signal, emits /_/a different signal in response/_" [2 <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transponder>]. What in the wiki is called a transponder can probably be more accurately described as a "repeater" [3 <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repeater>]. Unhappily man_made=communications_transponder is already in use for absolutely wrong features, as in [4 <https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/2199511457#map=19/44.98542/9.01678>] where it it is used to tag a cell tower.


Enough, for now, but of course I'm open to the discussion and I'm ready to contribute for what I can (/I'm not an expert in the field but/ /I am a former radio amateur and a former telephone company's CTO/).

Cheers!

Sergio


[1] https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Tag:man_made%3Dantenna
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transponder
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repeater
[4] https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/2199511457#map=19/44.98542/9.01678


On 2018-11-24 02:47, Warin wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> I was looking at the wiki for antennas
>
> https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Tag:man_made%3Dantenna
>
>
> I made some additions to the definition and added some photos etc.
>
> It is still rather sparse. I'd like to be able to further define what the antenna is.
>
>
> Unfortunately on the German wiki there is the use of antenna:type .. with a confusing set of values.
>
> (eg communication, special, parabolic_satellit, parabolic_satellit_uplink, radar)
>
>
> These appear to be the use of the antenna.
>
> Perhaps this could be antenna:use=radio/TV/radar/wifi/cell_phone
>
> I don't think 'communication' is a good tag - any antenna performs the function of communication.
>
> Similar for satellite (note last 'e' for British English), that might be all you can tell from the configuration and direction of the antenna but does not define its use.
>
>
> Then the 'type' of antenna .. better described as antenna:configuration ?
>
> Values could be monopole, dipole, yagi, dish ... yes dish will have sub tags for the feed system etc.
>
>
> Broad thoughts?
>
> Not after detail at this stage but antenna:type to others such as;
>
> antenna:use?
>
> antenna:configuration?
>
> antenna:mode=tx/rx/2way for the direction of communication?
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Tagging mailing list
> Tagging at openstreetmap.org
> https://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/tagging
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