Suundadena

Suundadena is a telecommunications device class referring to a directional radio antenna designed to concentrate radio energy in a particular direction. The term is formed in Estonian from suund (direction) and antenna, reflecting its primary function of directing emissions rather than radiating uniformly in all directions.

Design and operation: A suundadena achieves its directional pattern through arrangement of radiating elements and reflectors, such as a Yagi-Uda array or a parabolic reflector with a driven element. By constructive interference in the target direction and destructive interference elsewhere, it provides higher gain and a narrower beam than omnidirectional antennas. They require aiming toward the communication partner and, in some cases, precise polarization matching.

Typical forms include Yagi-Uda antennas for moderate gain and narrow beams, and parabolic dish antennas for high-gain microwave links. They are common in point-to-point links, satellite uplinks, wireless backhaul, and long-range Wi-Fi deployments. Handsets and consumer routers also use compact directional antennas (panel, patch, or horn types).

Advantages include improved range, higher signal-to-noise ratio, and reduced interference from unwanted directions. Disadvantages include the need for alignment, environmental exposure to wind, and limited coverage area compared with omnidirectional antennas.

Even though used mainly in radio communications, the concept resembles other directional radiators such as beamforming arrays. See also: directional antenna, beamforming, omnidirectional antenna, radio link.