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Re: [TowerTalk] Dipole gain?

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Dipole gain?
From: Herbert Schoenbohm <herbert.schoenbohm@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2014 08:09:49 -0400
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Stacking dipoles like in the FM radio world produces significant gain of course. If the dipoles are of the same polarity and properly stacked and fed you can double your radiated power every time you double the number of radiating elements. I would like to add that one of the simplest ways to get gain from a wire antenna is with the the legendary Bobtail which consists of three vertical 1/4 wave wires hung from a full wave horizontal wire. (a single vertical drop on each end of the flat top and a 1/4 wave feed wire from the exact center) This fixed wire non rotatable antenna produces a broadside pattern , great for DX, and doesn't break the bank in the process. On 40 meters only two wooden 40 foot poles space 130 feet apart are all that are required required as metal towers tend to ruin the pattern. So either your friend at the telephone company or off to the lumber yard after renting a post hole digger is about all that is required.

Herb Schoenbohm, KV4FZ

On 12/10/2014 1:12 AM, Jim Brown wrote:
On Tue,12/9/2014 1:46 PM, Ken wrote:
In actuality, “gain” in a non rotatable antenna is a myth.

False. Gain for antennas is usually expressed as dBi, meaning dB referenced to an ideal isotropic radiator. Gain is not a single number (unless the antenna is isotropic) -- it varies with both vertical and horizontal angle.

An ideal (lossless) dipole in free space has a PEAK gain (that is, broadside to it) of 2.18 dBi. Mount that dipole horizontally over real ground and the earth provides a reflection in the far field that creates a vertical pattern. Assuming no earth losses, the Peak gain will now be 3-6 dB greater at the vertical angle where the direct wave from the antenna combines precisely in phase with the wave reflected by the earth.

The shape of the vertical pattern will be entirely dependent upon the height of the horizontal dipole as a fraction of a wavelength, but will be almost independent of soil conditions.

Mount that same dipole VERTICALLY and it will interact very differently with the earth, and will be VERY dependent on the quality of the soil. There are some tutorials about all of this on my website. k9yc.com/publish.htm

http://k9yc.com/VerticalHeight.pdf

http://k9yc.com/VertOrHorizontal-Slides.pdf

73, Jim K9YC




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