Amateur radio operators often forget that a feedline or transmission line has an effect on the vector impedance of the antenna it serves. If the antenna is resonant (50 + j0 Ohms) for the input frequency, then any length of coax is irrelevant. But if the antenna vector impedance is something else (which it ALWAYS…
Month: July 2021
Mag Mount Antenna Optimization & Feedline Analytics
The mag mount antenna may possibly be categorized as a commodity in both amateur radio and all hobbyist communications. Its installation is pretty much plug-and-chug except for a slight positioning of the transmitting element by means of a set screw. The user of the mag mount antenna typically uses an SWR meter to position the…
A Dipole Antenna Build
The dipole antenna is the mainstay of amateur radio. It is simple and easy to understand, yet absolutely full of nuances to be aware of. For the July meeting of the Chelsea Amateur Radio Club (see: WD8IEL.com) our own vice-president, Wes Cardone (N8QM) is giving a presentation on an actual build of a dipole antenna….
A Dipole Feedpoint Distance From Ground and Impedance
It is well known that the input impedance of a dipole antenna is largely dependent upon the height of its feed point above the ground plane. In this blog post, we will quantify the dipole input impedance with respect to its height above the ground plane. A dipole antenna is affected by the height of…