Questions tagged [antenna-theory]
Designing antennas, selecting antennas for specific applications, properties of a given antenna design.
7
votes
3answers
78 views
Can I use a helical ground plane radial in the same way that a loading coil works?
I'm working out the science behind mounting an antenna on a vehicle, and I came across the concept of ground planes. This answer says that longer is better but don't worry about it too much, but this ...
2
votes
4answers
81 views
Does a 1/2 wavelength end-fed antenna need a good RF ground?
I was searching for DIY end-fed antenna.
Some of the articles I found say that for a 1/2 wavelength end-fed I need a "small to no counterpoise" (with a lambda*0.05 m counterpoise), but some other ...
1
vote
1answer
44 views
How to measure the power emitted from an HF antenna in near-field WPT?
I'd like to estimate the power density from a 13.56 MHz power source in a near-field WPT (wireless power transfer) scenario. Using a spectrum analyzer with a receiving antenna will give the E-field ...
3
votes
3answers
86 views
How thick should counterpoise wires be?
I would like to use a shortened whip antenna with a coil in it's base, e.g. OPEK HVT-400B. My transceiver maximum power is 100 W (and antenna's - 120 W). To make the antenna work I need counterpoise ...
2
votes
2answers
99 views
Fan dipole radiation pattern
I'm looking at dual band (2 m & 70 cm) antenna designs for my next project. A very interesting one to me is the Mighty Woof, which is essentially a fan dipole made of copper pipe.
Would the ...
2
votes
2answers
85 views
Will wrapping an antenna around my house next to metal affect it?
My unit is 25' by 25' each side and the front is 22' across. The overhang is about one foot with aluminum and vinyl underneath. If I wrap an OCF dipole (fed with 4:1 balun) around this overhang in ...
16
votes
5answers
4k views
How does the signal know where the cable ends and the antenna starts?
I know very little about antennas. I know, that for a certain frequency the antenna needs a certain lengths for good sending/receiving conditions.
Often the antenna is at the end of a cable. Why doesn'...
2
votes
2answers
76 views
Is there any difference in the voltage and current distribution for a half wave dipole fed in the middle, or fed with a gamma match?
Is there any difference in the voltage (potential difference wrt center) and current (rate of flow of electrons) distribution for a half wave dipole fed in the middle (dipole cut in the middle,) or ...
1
vote
2answers
160 views
Exactly why do some SWR meters give a changing reading depending on the length of coax used to connect to an antenna?
Following is my understanding of some theory and the questions are at the end.
Is this right ? ...
A standing wave is an AC waveform oscillating at a particular frequency which has a varying ...
1
vote
3answers
83 views
If the voltage at the center of a half wave dipole isn't zero, then how do Plumber's Delight yagi antennas work?
The voltage at the center of a resonant half wave dipole can't be zero because the current is at a maximum in the middle. If the voltage was zero then there would be zero current right ?
How then can ...
0
votes
2answers
76 views
Does a vertically or horizontally polarized electromagnetic wavefront have a thickness?
Does a vertically or horizontally polarized electromagnetic wavefront have a thickness ?
Or is it really thin and just the height or width of it's wavelength ?
0
votes
2answers
57 views
Does a horizontally polarised yagi antenna have the same front to back ratio for horizontal and vertical received signals?
Can anyone answer this question :
I have a 4 element yagi antenna which is horizontally polarized. Let's say it has a front to back ratio of 20 dB. Does that front to back ratio apply to received ...
3
votes
4answers
124 views
What is the voltage on a half wave dipole measured with respect to?
As I understand, voltage is a measure of the potential difference between two points, and voltage causes current to flow.
I see lots of descriptions on how dipoles work with lots of references to the ...
0
votes
1answer
57 views
How does a gamma match on a dipole work as a balun?
I have a resonant half wave dipole which is one continuous length and not separated in the middle, fed using a gamma match, and with the braid of the coax joined to the exact electrical center of the ...
1
vote
2answers
81 views
What is Electrical length in RF and how to electrically cut and measure the RF cable in degree?
What is electrical length in detail? Why is it so that 1/4 wave , 1/2 wave dipole antenna works properly and not a full wave antenna? What is the role of electrical lengths in degree?
8
votes
3answers
186 views
How can the voltage at the center of a resonant half wave dipole be zero if the input impedance is 75 ohms?
If the input impedance of a resonant half wave dipole at the feed point is 75 + j0 ohms, then if an AC sine wave voltage V is applied to the feed point, how can the voltage at the center be zero ? ...
2
votes
2answers
113 views
How can the impedance of a half wave dipole at its resonant frequency be purely resistive when the voltage and current are seemingly not in phase?
A half wave center-fed dipole has a resonant frequency where the input impedance appears to be purely resistive. How can this be, when the voltage and current distribution along the length of a half ...
4
votes
2answers
318 views
Does a parabolic reflector dish change circular polarity?
I've been receiving satellite signals in the L-band (~1.7GHz), recently.
These signals are RHCP. So far, I've been using a DIY helical antenna in axial mode, and a patch antenna with cropped or ...
3
votes
5answers
95 views
Gain difference between half-wave and infinitesimal dipole?
In discussion around another Q&A here, Glenn W9IQ commented:
The directive gain difference between a half wavelength dipole and an infinitesimal dipole is only 0.39 dB
I'm curious where this ...
0
votes
2answers
95 views
If one were to add reflector elements above and below a dipole would it change the direction to horizontal?
Since adding a reflector and a director horizontally to a dipole (as in a three element Yagi) causes the beam to reflect horizontally, what should happen if reflectors above and below the dipole were ...
2
votes
1answer
81 views
Stacking DB8 “bedsprings”
I'm trying to receive a UHF TV signal 86 miles away. Considering the height of the transmitting antenna and the height of the receiving antenna, I should be able to just make line-of-sight between ...
1
vote
2answers
87 views
antenna theory for beginners [closed]
I am new to amateur radio and am having trouble getting my head around antenna theory. Can anyone suggest a good 'introduction to antennas' that doesn't get too technical? Thanks.
2
votes
1answer
69 views
What does co-phasing of cross-polarized antennas mean?
I was working with the 3GPP release 14.6, and it mentioned that modern communication systems have cross polarized antennas, and in order to perform beam-forming we need to co-phase our pre-coder.
Pre-...
4
votes
2answers
61 views
What are the effects of different feed-line incidence angles?
Consider a dipole antenna fed by a coax (say, longer than the antenna) with a signal reasonably close to the dipole's resonant frequency. Various sources say that the feed-line should approach the ...
7
votes
5answers
181 views
Are there formulae to calculate capacitance and inductance of an antenna?
How to calculate internal impedance of a dipole antenna? Its resistance has two components ie wire resistance and radiation resistance, both these can be calculated using formula. Are there formula to ...
3
votes
1answer
90 views
Twisting copper wire for a less-flexible DIY antenna
I am making DIY antenna for a home project. The antenna is going to be "V-dipole" with leg length about 53cm.
Unfortunately, I didn't find a thick copper wire, but I have a lot of thin core from tv ...
2
votes
3answers
90 views
Do PCB antennas suit for NOAA and ADS-B?
I saw many designs for creating DIY antennas for NOAA (~137MHz) and ADS-B (~1090MHz) but never seen it in a PCB implementation.
So I have a rookie question: why nobody uses PCB antennas for such ...
2
votes
2answers
87 views
G5RV Jr. fed with ladder line and coax
I am a new ham and I was just given a G5RV Jr. I have about 20 feet of coax plus about 60 feet of 450 ohm ladder line I can feed it with. Can I extend the G5RV Jr. feed line with the ladder line I ...
1
vote
2answers
58 views
vertical 40m antenna takeoff angle
I built a 40m vertical using the W8AMZ design https://www.amateurradiosupplies.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/40m_vertical_monopole_-_manual.pdf
Seems to be working for the most part. But I'm not sure ...
1
vote
2answers
80 views
True near field distance for a short monopole antenna?
Antenna properties:
Height x Diameter = 3.3 inches x 1.4 inches
Test Frequency: 900 MHz
(Wavelength = 33 cm or 13 inches)
I see some conflicting formulas to calculate the near field distance for ...
5
votes
4answers
244 views
Why does not a bigger antenna receive more power?
According to http://www.antenna-theory.com/basics/aperture.php, the power received by an antenna depends on the power density of the incoming wave, the wave length (which I consider to be fixed) and ...
2
votes
1answer
152 views
CB Radio Ground Plane (or lack thereof)
Notice the vertical antenna on the truck. I believe this first antenna is referred to as a "dipole", mounted vertically. CB to coax, coax to antenna.
The shell of the truck is fiberglass. Even the ...
2
votes
1answer
115 views
What type of this antenna is it?
Could you please tell me which kind of this antenna is? I supposed it is a modified dipole, but not quite sure. Is there any available equation for calculating the original dimensions of this type of ...
6
votes
1answer
76 views
Two antennas on different sides of a building
I live in the 4th floor of a building with one side facing south and the other north. I am able to use my 2M mobile base transceiver with a mobile magnet mount antenna placed just outside the window. ...
-2
votes
1answer
121 views
How do I understand this figure about antenna pattern? [closed]
Why the back lobes have such a large area??? I think it may be like https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/products/collateral/wireless/aironet-antennas-accessories/prod_white_paper0900aecd806a1a3e.doc/...
1
vote
1answer
66 views
Can the Q of a loop antenna be changed?
Can the Q of a loop antenna be changed?
If so what are some common techniques? (Formulae appreciated).
3
votes
1answer
91 views
Understanding of NFC Reader Antenna matching
I have been designing a 20 x 20 cm square NFC reader antenna which looks like this:
In order to make it work and detect NFC tags at certain distance, it needs to be matched. To do that I was trying ...
3
votes
1answer
140 views
Is a J-pole an appropriate antenna for mounting to a steel handrail?
Last year, a group of us placed a battery-powered 2m digipeater using a J-pole antenna on a mountaintop. We're planning on doing the same this year except we plan to use a surge arrestor from the feed ...
3
votes
1answer
73 views
Electrical Earth
I have moved to a new flat which is on the 4 floor, luckily the landlord has let me put an OCF dipole outside with coax feeding through an existing hole in the window frame. I'm looking for some ...
3
votes
1answer
58 views
Antenna Patterns and Multipath Effect
It's said that in order to decrease multi-path effects on receiving antennas that your antenna pattern should have a sharp slope near the horizon. Why?
for example this is article mentioned it.(...
4
votes
2answers
222 views
Antenna Efficiency
Intuitively, we all understand that an antenna at fractional wavelengths will not radiate well even with perfect impedance matching systems.
From what I understand the efficiency of antenna has a ...
3
votes
1answer
75 views
Skin effect - rough versus polished surface
Considering "skin effect", does the surface finish of Aluminum tubing have any practical effect on antenna efficiency at HF frequencies (5-30 MHz)?
For example: Aluminum tubing as manufactured - rough ...
4
votes
1answer
173 views
Microstrip Loop Antenna Design
I am trying to design a loop antenna for operation at 2.4 GHz, I would like for it to have above 2.5 dB gain at 2.4 GHz and have relatively good return loss (<-10 dB).
I have started my design as ...
6
votes
4answers
368 views
Why do we distinguish between balanced and unbalanced?
I hear all the time, "you need a balun between your balanced dipole and unbalanced coax to stop the common-mode current" when it seems the proper advice is "you need something to stop common-mode ...
3
votes
1answer
143 views
What is the turn spacing on a Helix Antenna?
I want to do some satellite communication so I thought why not build my own helix antenna.
I found this page:
Helix antenna design and construction details
The most things are clear except for the ...
2
votes
2answers
450 views
How do you calculate the field strength at a given distance?
Given this question from the full license exam in the UK:
What is the field strength at a distance of 7m from an antenna with an effective radiated power of 100W?
in which the answer is:
10 V/m
...
4
votes
3answers
240 views
Can an antenna be too powerful for certain receivers?
I'm brand new to shortwave radio and have been researching what kind of a receiver to get. I'll use it on the antenna I'll build (longwire, 50-100 feet) for shortwave listening; no transmitting. Right ...
3
votes
3answers
397 views
How can I calculate the 1/4-wave monopole impedance dependence on groundplane angle?
I watched this video of a very nice explanation of a simple dipole and 1/4-wave monopole. In that video they show how you can impedance match the 1/4-wave monopole by bending the 4 (virtual ground ...
2
votes
1answer
64 views
How to consider the influence from the PCB that a small antenna is mounted on?
The small antenna itself has an $S_{11}$ of -3 dB around MICS band (verified with simulation and network analyzer). In application, the antenna is mounted on a transceiver PCB of 30*15*0.8 mm which ...
2
votes
1answer
298 views
Feedline and balun for 80m horizontal delta loop
I am new to HF. I'd like to put up an 80m delta loop. Due to aesthetic considerations I need to use coax to the shack. If tuned for 3.55MHz, I anticipate having a good SWR on 80m, 40m, and 20m. The ...
