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Multi-band dipoles
A simple half-wave dipole cut to length for operation on the 40m band (7 MHz) will also operate on the 15m band
without any changes being necessary. This is because the physical length of the antenna appears to be one-and-one-
half wavelengths long at 15 metres (21 MHz), i.e. three half-wavelengths long.
A dipole antenna can be arranged to operate on several
bands using other methods. One way is to install "traps"
in each leg.
These are parallel-tuned circuits as shown in this
diagram (enlarged to show the circuitry). The traps are
seen as "high impedances" by the highest band in use
and the distance between the traps is a half-wavelength for that band. At the frequencies of lower bands, the traps are
seen as inductive and the antenna appears as a dipole with loading coils in each leg. With clever and careful design,
operation becomes possible on a range of amateur bands.
Baluns
Dipoles should be fed with a "balanced line". “Baluns’ are discussed elsewhere in this Study Guide.
Vertical antennas
The simplest vertical is the Marconi which is a quarter-wave radiator
above a ground-plane. It has a feedpoint impedance over a perfect ground
of 36 ohm. Above real ground it is usually between 50 and 75 ohm. This
makes a good match for 50 ohm cable with the shield going to ground. For
a given wavelength it is the smallest antenna with reasonable efficiency
and so is a popular choice for mo bile communication. It can be thought of
half of a dipole with the other half appearing as a virtual image in the
ground.
A longer antenna can produce even lower radiation angles although these
antennas become a bit large to easily construct. A length often used for
VHF mobile operation is the 5/8th wavelength. This length has a higher
feed impedance and requires a matching network to match most feeder cables.
Vertical antennas require a good highly conductive ground. If the natural ground conductivity is poor, quarter-wave
copper wire radials can be laid out from the base of the vertical to form a virtual ground.
Vertical antennas provide an omni-directional pattern in the horizontal plane so they receive and transmit equally
well in all directions. This also makes them susceptible to noise and unwanted signals from all directions.
Vertical antennas are often used by DX operators because they produce low angle radiation that is best for long
distances.
Beams
To improve signal transmission or reception in specific directions,
basic elements, either vertical or horizontal, can be combined to
form arr ays. The most common form is the Yagi-Uda parasitic
array commonly referred to as a Yagi array or beam.
Antenna measurements
Most antenna performance measurements are given in decibels. Important figures for a beam antenna are the forward
gain, front-to-side ratio, and front-to-back ratio.
Forward gain is often given related to a simple dipole. For example, if the forward gain is said to be 10 dB over a
dipole, then the radiated energy would be 10 times stronger in its maximum direction than a simple dipole.
Another comparison standard is the isotropic radiator or antenna. Consider it to be a theoretical point-source of radio
energy. This is a hypothetical antenna that will radiate equally well in all directions in all planes - unlike a real
vertical antenna which radiates equally well only in the horizontal plane. A dipole has a 2.3 dB gain over the
isotropic radiator.
A front-to-back ratio of 20 dB means that the energy off the back of the beam is one-hundredth that of the front.
Similar figures apply to the front-to-side ratio.
Another antenna measurement is the bandwidth or range of frequencies over which the antenna will satisfactorily
operate. High gain antennas usually have a narrower bandwidth than low gain antennas. Some antennas may only
cover a narrow part of a band they are used in while others can operate on several bands. Other antennas may be able
to operate on several bands but not on frequencies in-between those bands.
Dummy loads
A dummy load, or dummy antenna, is not really an antenna but is closely related to one. It is a pure resistance which
is put in place of an antenna to use when testing a transmitter without radiating a signal.
Commonly referred to as a termination, if correctly matched to the impedance of the line, when placed at the end of a
transmission line it will make the transmission line look like an infinite line.
Most transmitters are 50 ohm output impedance so a dummy load is simply a 50 ohm non-inductive resistor load.
The resistor can be enclosed in oil to improve its power-handling capacity. The rating for full-power operation may
be for only a short time so be aware of the time and power ratings of your dummy load before testing for long
periods at full power. The things can get very hot!
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