The All-Around Radiation Characteristics of
Horizontal Antennas
Utilizing Directive Properties To Increase Transmission Effectiveness
By George Grammer
HE ig unknown in the equation “Trans
jitter times X equala Hesuls” is the
‘sulenna, ‘The eonstant taking down and
putting up of antennas emphasizes the point.
Badly, most of these changes are aimless; blind
topings inspired by the eternal hope that somo
thing new wil “get out” better. We think they
need not be.
‘Simple antennas have cerain properties which
ean be utilized to advantage provided we know
wwhat we want to-do. It is mapossble to predict
Chelly what any given type of antenps will do
‘when hung in a particular loestion, unfortunately.
However, theoretical analysis is’ possible when
certain newumptions are made; although these
fesumptions are never realized in practice, ex-
perience with soveral typos of antennas in differ
ft locations over the past year indicates that the
+ antenna purfurmanee checks quite closely, qual
tatively, with the bebavior predieted by theory.
‘This artilo concerns iteelf only with simple hor
sontal antenas, the kind the majority of ama-
{ours uso either through eboiee or nevessty.
No amateur who doce any reading at ll eon
luxve avoided being exposed to the plane dia
gram purporting to show the directive prover-
tes of antennas of various lengths. A get of them
Fig, ILLUSTRATING THE METHOD OF FVALY
‘ABOVE THE HORIZONTAL
iMluminates the antenna chapter in the Handbook.
Providing they are not taken too literally, such
‘diagrams ean be of value but (as is also pointed
‘oat in the Zandbook) they merely represent a
cross-section of a Sure which is really a solid,
synmeteieal about the antenne wire. An easy way.
Ketan Thin tor.
to get s mentol picture of the actual freewpuce
directive pattern of any particular tye of an
tenna is €0 copy the plane diagrain on w piece of
ccundbosrd, eut it out and mount on a length of
Sif wire which represents the antenna axis. If
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1 FSO A 2 GOI Oo 30"
FIG, EFFECT OF GROUND ON RADIATION AT
VERFIGAL ANGLES FOR FOUR ANTENNA.
"aBterTs
the wize ia then twitled rapidly in the fngore a
“motion pieture” of the solid directive diagram
reudily eau be seen.
“However, even this is of no grest value except
to form s mental image whiels wll be of help in
understanding what follows. No antenna worksin
free apace, Amateur antennas, in partonlar, l=
ways hug the ground and the surrounding houses
sand fora protty closely. OF these surroundings,
the ground is the only item common to all loea
tion, and ie the only one that ean be taken into
count in a discussion of this kind. Tt should be
realized, however, that the proximity of tin roofe,
hhouse witing, dewnspouting, and similar obstrwo-
tonsin the tld ofthe antenna ean havea marked
effect on its performance.
‘With the wold directive pattern firmly in mind,
Jet us suppose that the antenna is placed hor
sontally over the earth. Neglecting for the mo-
tment the effect of the ground, this immediately
‘cus of the lower half of the pattern since we are
November, 1936
19‘oneerned only wit radiation i space. Now ifwe
fut the solid pattern by a plane passing throug
‘the axigof the antenna at any random angle with
Fesjoet to eurt, the outline of the pattern on the
plane will be the sme plane diggram whieh we
hhave already said must be handled with oar.
‘The idea is represented in Fig. 1, in which the
large horizontal plane represents the earth and
the ine OA the line of the antenna wire. OABC is
the eutting plane just mentioned, and on it is
‘drawn tho plane diagram, inthis case represcut~
Ingone quadrant of a full-srave antenna disgras.
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HALF-WAVE ANTENNA
apiarion ar verricat |__}o ¢
A ANGLE 9 ABE HORIZON
7 ryTyt
10107 207 20" 40" 90" 4 90" 6" 0"
ROUBDNTAL ANGLE WT RESPECT To ANTENA WORE
FIELD STRENGTH 10 ARBITRARY UNITS
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8 S17] Y6-wave ANTENNA 6
Pita eeerraaes aie
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opi ANGLE WITH RESPECT 70 ANTENNA WIRE
(Only one quadrant neo be considered, sinee the
ptterns are always eymmetrical, td what hap
jens in one quadrant slso happens in the ether
three.) As the plane OAC is rotated about the
antenna as sn axis, the plane diagram wll de-
teribe the solid directive pattern.
‘Most ameteursrealize thet energy radiated up
wards from the earth is effective for long-distance
ommuniation. Suppose we wish to know the rel-
ative feld strength at a distant point caused by
radiation at come upward angle with respect to
the earth's surface. Let us say that a straight line
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BE ANGLE 9 ABOVE HORIZON | 4)
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ORDONTAL ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO ANTENNA WIRE
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“w0-WAvE
ANTENNA
aouarion ar |
VERTICAL ANGLE 10
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FIELD STRENGTH IN ARBITRARY UNITS
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‘Sot BF 90h ASO GO 10" OF 3
MORIZONTAL ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO AATEMYA WIRE
‘os. '6 INC--DIRECTIVITY CHARTS TOR FOUM SIMPLE ANTENNAS FOR RADIATION AT A
20
QST for
eefrom the distant point makes an angle DOA, Fig.
1, with the line of the anterma. Along the line DO
we erect a vertical plane and on it draw a line,
HO, s0 that the angle BOD represents the upward
‘angle of rediation in which we are interosted. If
ten the plane OAZ2C is rotated so that it passes
through the line £0, the point X, where the line
FO intersocts tho plane diagram, gives the desired
value of rolstive eld alrengty tne being ex
pressed as the length of radial ne running from
6 to the outline of the diagram. If the vertioal
angle, ZOD, is kept constant while the horizontal
Pus
FELD STRENGTH IN ARBITRARY UNITS
DECIBELS
ALE-WAVE ANTENNA
RADIATION AT VERTICAL
ANGLE 5*ABOVE HORIZON
angle, AOD, is changed throngl 90 degroos, a
feriew of point eam be ebtalned from whieli
‘liteetive digrata forthe vertical angle BOD cam
be plotted. It is important to note that the dia
gram so obtained ooineides with the plane dine
gram only when the eertieal angle i zro—sn In
[possible case, since purely horizontel radiation
hoplgiblo at high frequencica. At lorizontal
‘angles close in to the line of the antenna, the
relative Geld strength will depend upon the par-
‘cular vertical angle considered, and if the right
tertical angle is chowen the masts radiotion wll
v bes
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010" 30> 30° 407 G0" G0" 90" 807-90"
HORIZONTAL ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO ANTENNA WIRE
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