Twin-beam base station antennas having thinned arrays with triangular sub-arrays

A twin beam base station antenna, comprising:

• an angled reflector having a first planar panel and a second planar panel that is angled with respect to the first planar panel;
• a first array that includes a first plurality of radiating elements that are mounted to extend forwardly from the first planar panel, where the radiating elements extend in three vertically-extending columns, and the radiating elements in the middle of the three vertically-extending columns are vertically offset from the radiating elements in the other two of the three vertically-extending columns;
• and
• a second array that includes a second plurality of radiating elements that are mounted to extend forwardly from the second planar panel, where the radiating elements extend in three vertically-extending columns, and the radiating elements in the middle of the three vertically-extending columns are vertically offset from the radiating elements in the other two of the three vertically-extending columns;
• wherein the first and third columns in the first array and the first and third columns in the second array are separated by between 0.5λ and 0.95λ, where λ is the wavelength corresponding to the center frequency of the operating frequency bands of the first and second arrays;
• wherein the radiating elements in the second column of the first array are offset in the vertical direction by between 0.6λ and 0.9λ from the closest radiating elements in the first and third columns in the first array, and the radiating elements in the second column of the second array are offset in the vertical direction by between 0.6λ and 0.9λ from the closest radiating elements in the first and third columns in the second array.

A base station antenna comprising:

• a reflector comprising first and second tilted portions and a flat middle portion that is between the first and second tilted portions;
• a vertical column of low-band radiating elements on the flat middle portion of the reflector;
• a first vertically-staggered plurality of vertical columns of high-band radiating elements on the first tilted portion of the reflector;
• and
• a second vertically-staggered plurality of vertical columns of high-band radiating elements on the second tilted portion of the reflector,
• wherein an innermost one of the first vertically-staggered plurality of vertical columns is vertically staggered relative to an innermost one of the second vertically-staggered plurality of vertical columns.