Patent ID: 8217848

Claim:
A base station antenna for a telecommunications system comprising: a plurality of antenna elements for directing a beam of electromagnetic energy in a propagation direction; a plurality of phase shifters operatively connected to the antenna elements for tilting the beam propagation direction; a control device operatively connected to the phase shifters for operating the phase shifters to tilt the beam propagation direction; a gear-motor unit operatively connected to the control device for electro-mechanically driving the control device to tilt the beam propagation direction; a manual beam tilt mechanism operatively connected to the control device for manually driving the control device to tilt the beam propagation direction; and a clutch operative for disengaging the gear-motor unit from the control device to facilitate manual adjustment of the beam propagation direction and reengaging the gear-motor unit with the control device to permit electro-mechanical adjustment of the beam propagation direction.