If you searched for "rfs," "rfs inc," "infinity pro," or "how to use a multimeter" and landed here, you're not the only one. I work on the operations side of an RF systems company, and those are exactly the things I get asked about by integrators, site leads, and buyers trying to solve a problem before a deadline. I've been doing this for six years, and last quarter alone we processed 47 rush orders with a 95% on-time delivery rate. This FAQ is written the way I'd answer a customer who's in a hurry—short, practical, and honest about what I don't know.
What is RFS Inc.?
RFS Inc. stands for Radio Frequency Systems, a manufacturer that supplies the physical parts of wireless networks: base station antennas, feeder cables, jumpers, filters, RET controllers, gas discharge tubes, and related transmission hardware. If you've ever worked on a macro site, you've probably touched a CELLFLEX feeder or an RFS antenna. If you haven't, think of RFS as the company behind the hardware that carries radio signals between the radio and the tower antennas.
There's also a lot of product variety under each category. For example, CELLFLEX cables come in different diameters and connector types, and RET controllers need to match the antenna model. In other words, "RFS" is not one product; it's a family of site infrastructure.
Does GD&T RFS mean the same thing as RFS Inc.?
No—wait, this one always trips people up, so let's make it clear. GD&T RFS stands for Regardless of Feature Size, and it comes from mechanical engineering, not RF. In geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, RFS means a tolerance is applied at all actual sizes of a feature. A mechanical drawing might have a position tolerance with "RFS" in the feature control frame. That has nothing to do with Radio Frequency Systems.
When a manufacturer sends me a drawing that references RFS, they're talking about machining, not antennas. If you're trying to understand a GD&T callout, you're in a different technical lane. On an RF datasheet, you'll likely see VSWR, gain, PIM, and connector type—not geometric callouts.
What is the RFS Infinity Pro?
The Infinity Pro is the antenna platform I get asked about most, mostly because the name sounds like a consumer router. It's not. It's a macro-cell antenna platform from RFS, designed to pack multiple frequency bands into a single physical radome. Instead of mounting one antenna for low band, another for high band, and another for mid band, an Infinity Pro can handle several of those in one assembly. It also supports remote electrical tilt (RET) in many configurations, usually through the standard AISG interface, so a technician can change tilt from the ground without climbing.
From a site manager's point of view, the advantages are real: fewer radomes means less wind load, less installation labor, and cleaner tower loads. From a finance point of view, it can reduce total cost if you're deploying across multiple bands. But no part number is universal, and the exact specs depend on the band combination you order. I always tell buyers to get the published datasheet before they design around an Infinity Pro part.
Is Infinity Pro always the right choice?
No. The Infinity Pro works well when you need multi-band performance and have the space or wind-load budget for it. But it's not the best option for every site.
If a customer only needs one or two bands, a simpler antenna with a separate RET unit is usually cheaper and easier to swap out in the future. If the structure has a strict weight limit, a small single-band panel could be the right call. I've also seen projects where an integrated antenna was ordered because it "looked cleaner," and then the installation crew realized the radome was harder to maneuver on the tower. So I'd say this: recommend Infinity Pro when consolidation solves a problem. If you're choosing it because the name sounds premium, check the actual weight and wind load first. Honesty here saves everyone a difficult retrofit.
How to use a multimeter to check RFS cable and connectors
Here's the exact process I use when someone asks how to use a multimeter to check RFS cables and connectors. A multimeter won't tell you if a cable is good for RF performance, but it's a fast way to catch an open conductor, a broken shield, or a dead short before you install it.
- Start by disconnecting the cable from equipment. This is a safety step, not a formality.
- Set the multimeter to resistance (Ω). If your meter has a continuity mode, that's fine as a quick check, but ohms mode gives you a useful reading.
- Test the center conductor. Put one probe on the center pin at each end. A short jumper should read near 0 Ω. If it reads infinite resistance, the center conductor is open.
- Test the outer conductor. Touch the probes to the outer shells at each end. Expect the same near-0 Ω reading.
- Test for a short between center and outer. Put one probe on the center pin and one on the outer shell. The reading should be open or very high. If it's near 0 Ω, there's likely a short—unless something in the path, like a lightning protector, has a DC path by design.
That last point trips more than a few people. Some RFS accessories, like lightning protection units, intentionally pass DC. So if you're testing a full chain with a protector inline, check the datasheet before you diagnose a fault. A multimeter can't measure VSWR, return loss, or PIM. That's what the proper RF test equipment is for.
What won't a multimeter tell you about RFS gear?
You can use a multimeter for initial triage, but it can't validate an RFS antenna, feeder, or jumper. I've seen a cable pass the continuity test and then fail on a tower because water had gotten into the dielectric. I've also seen a connector with high resistance on the outer conductor cause a recurring problem that a DC probe read as fine. So don't let a clean multimeter result give you false confidence.
You need a cable analyzer or VNA for return loss and insertion loss, and a PIM tester if intermodulation is a concern. For a macro site deployment, the final sign-off should be done with proper equipment. The multimeter is a helpful first screen, not the whole story.
What about emergency RF component delivery?
Emergency deliveries are where the operations side really earns its keep. In March 2024, Jackie, a site lead at a regional integrator, called at 11 a.m. Her crew had found a damaged CELLFLEX cable inside a conduit on a rooftop job, and the hardware window closed in 36 hours. The normal replacement process would have taken five days, so we located the RFS assembly in stock, confirmed the connector configuration with her, and paid a $190 rush freight charge to have it dropped at the site by 6 a.m. the next day. Jackie's crew installed it that morning and had the site tested with about ten hours to spare.
Not every emergency works out that smoothly. Sometimes the part isn't in stock, or the exact model is discontinued, or the freight carrier has a delay. That's why my honest advice is to keep critical replacements in stock and verify connector types before the work order starts. A rush fee can save a project, but the best emergency is the one you plan for.
