The TIA-329.* series standards deal with antenna systems. TIA-329.1-* deals with requirements for and measurements of Base Station antennas. TIA-329.2-* deals with measurements of mobile antennas. This standard, TIA-329.3, deals with measurements of portable antennas.

The term “portable antennas” in this context is taken to mean any antenna mounted on or built-in to a portable communication device. It also includes any human-worn antenna intended to be used exclusively with a portable communication device.

The term “portable communications device” includes, but is not limited to, the following classes of devices:

• Hand-held portable transceivers (i.e. “walkie-talkies”)

• Packset portable transceivers

• Paging receivers

• Hand-held mobile (cellular) telephones

• Portable information devices

• Devices intended to be plugged-in to a laptop computer via an Accessory Port or a USB port

It is the intent of this document to present a method of measuring in situ portable antenna performance for application to network design. There are a number of factors that affect antenna operation on a portable device that are part of the ambient environment within a few wavelengths of the portable antenna. These factors from the ambient environment are detached from the portable transceiver and the portable antenna themselves. The factors include the dielectric and absorption properties of the bodies of the personnel holding the portable device with their apparel, together with aspects of the posture, azimuth, and orientation of the antenna, and any furnishings, vehicles, or environmental edifices within a few wavelengths of the antenna. Other details of the ambient environment can also introduce factors, such as a factor for precipitation or moisture. A measurement of portable antenna operation requires the selection of some sample of the portable devices, and any associated factors, combined with the technical means to make the measurement for all the selected samples. This selection of factors constitutes the test condition(s) of an experiment. If the selection of the factors in the test condition is successful, then the measurement results will be distributed to permit statistically valid conclusions about portable device(s) operation in a network design. The method of measurement includes an experimental design for the purposes of measuring portable antenna operation for receiving or transmitting messages with the selection of some set of test conditions that is within the technical means of effort to apply the measurement. The measurements results will then be a set of data points that are statistically analyzed to draw valid conclusions, if there are any. Since the factors from the ambient environment are likely to change for different applications or purposes, the repeatability of the measurement results may not be always possible, unless the experiment is designed to tightly constrain the factors that affect portable antenna operation. Any extension of experimental test results to other portable devices, or other antennas, or to different ambient factors is not anticipated by this standard.

This document does not recommend performance limits for the antennas dealt with herein.

This document applies to single-element portable antennas within the frequency range 25 MHz to 6.0 GHz. Multi-element antennas, e.g. those supporting MIMO technologies, are beyond the scope of this document.