Quote:
Originally Posted by Irv Finkleman
Q. Is there a relationship between the efficiency of an antenna and the
received signal strength?
IRV, antenna's operates with a theory called Reciprocity, which means if it is a good receive antenna, that you should also be able to transmit with it. The limitations being the size of the wire used in the Balun - if too small, they won't handle much power.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recipro...romagnetism%29
Also, if it is not a good transmitter antenna, it won't be a good receive antenna either. Radio waves tends to favor antenna's that are resonant.
IF that isn't enough, how much do radials contribute to the bandwidth?
Radials do not contribute to the bandwidth, either the antenna is resonant, or it is not! The radials do not resonate any power, that is the job of the antenna..
I'm never to old to learn, but I am old enough that a lot of mathematical
mumbo jumbo and Smith Charts tend to confound me!
Smith Charts are not Mumbo Jumbo - it is a representation of a conductor - coax that is coiled up - like a garden hose, so you can fit more of the conductor in one picture. The Smith Chart allows you to look inside of the garden hose and see what event is taking place at that particular point.
Thanks for any input on the matter....
Irv VE6BP |
Irv,
The very best advice we can give you is to advise you to find a good amateur radio club in your neighborhood and have you join.
Look for someone more knowledgeable then yourself - regardless of their age, and have them mentor you.
A decent Amateur Radio Club will have a hamshack - a place where it's members can operate.
There - you can take your radio and hook it up to their antenna's and operate.
The only other advice I can give you is to tell you to move!
Amateur radio isn't for everyone.
It does not allow us to bend or break the rules of Physic's.
There is a certain amount of effort that has to be done in order to get your signal up in the air and be able to broadcast it to the world.
The only option I have seen that was somewhat successful was a operator that bought Hamsticks and fabricated a mount, mounted the hamsticks on his porch railing, grounded the railing and used the hamsticks on 6 and 10 meters. 10 meters only requires a 9' long antenna - quarter wave, and a dipole on 6 is 9' long.
Your transceiver is marginal at best, not a real good performer to start with and handicapping it by using a non resonant antenna is only going to impede your amateur radio hobby much past listening to the bands.