CP nearly spherical
 

What would be a good (free space, 1 GHz) antenna to achieve
circular polarizarion with a nearly spherical coverage?

Thanks,

Sam

CP nearly spherical
 

"SamSvL" wrote in message
...
What would be a good (free space, 1 GHz) antenna to achieve
circular polarizarion with a nearly spherical coverage?

Thanks,

Sam


Hi Sam

If you want "half spherical" coverage for receiving a circularly polarized
signal, a turnstile is probably the easiest to build.
If your requirements for sensitivity are more stringent than the turnstile
provides, a quadrafilar helix is excellant circular polarization.

Jerry

CP nearly spherical
 

"SamSvL" wrote in message
...
What would be a good (free space, 1 GHz) antenna to achieve
circular polarizarion with a nearly spherical coverage?

Thanks,

Near 1.5 Ghz the "Patch" antenna works well for me and my GPS receiver. I
THINK it is CP but which rotation??? Some sources indicate you have to nick
alternate corners of the radiating element to achieve CP. I don't know.

Google .com tells me the GPS patch is available at
http://users.bart.nl/users/plundahl/...e/patchant.htm

or a 2.4 GHz version at http://www.rc-cam.com/gp_patch.htm#GPP_faq

You scale it to your approximate center freq. Good luck

CP nearly spherical
 

"Jerry Martes" wrote in
news:Wgm9h.7725$9e.3808@trnddc02:


"SamSvL" wrote in message
...
What would be a good (free space, 1 GHz) antenna to achieve
circular polarizarion with a nearly spherical coverage?

Thanks,

Sam


Hi Sam

If you want "half spherical" coverage for receiving a circularly
polarized
signal, a turnstile is probably the easiest to build.
If your requirements for sensitivity are more stringent than the
turnstile
provides, a quadrafilar helix is excellant circular polarization.

Jerry

Hi Jerry,

Unfortunately I am looking for the full sphere :-(

Sam

CP nearly spherical
 

"Sal M. Onella" wrote in
:


"SamSvL" wrote in message
...
What would be a good (free space, 1 GHz) antenna to achieve
circular polarizarion with a nearly spherical coverage?

Thanks,

Near 1.5 Ghz the "Patch" antenna works well for me and my GPS
receiver. I THINK it is CP but which rotation??? Some sources
indicate you have to nick alternate corners of the radiating element
to achieve CP. I don't know.

Google .com tells me the GPS patch is available at
http://users.bart.nl/users/plundahl/...e/patchant.htm

or a 2.4 GHz version at http://www.rc-cam.com/gp_patch.htm#GPP_faq

You scale it to your approximate center freq. Good luck


Thanks. But the patch covers only hemisphere (and a little bit more)
and I am looking for the full sphere!

Sam

CP nearly spherical
 

"SamSvL" wrote in message
...
"Jerry Martes" wrote in
news:Wgm9h.7725$9e.3808@trnddc02:


"SamSvL" wrote in message
...
What would be a good (free space, 1 GHz) antenna to achieve
circular polarizarion with a nearly spherical coverage?

Thanks,

Sam


Hi Sam

If you want "half spherical" coverage for receiving a circularly
polarized
signal, a turnstile is probably the easiest to build.
If your requirements for sensitivity are more stringent than the
turnstile
provides, a quadrafilar helix is excellant circular polarization.

Jerry

Hi Jerry,

Unfortunately I am looking for the full sphere :-(

Sam


Hi Sam

You may have alot of difficulty locating a design for an antenna that
radiates a given "circular" polarization with "spherical" coverage. I
consider those requirements to be entirely beyond reality. Are you
planning to build this antenna or buy it *off the shelf*?

Jerry

CP nearly spherical
 

Two CP hemispheric antennas back to back feeding a Wilkinson adder.

Jim


"SamSvL" wrote in message
...
Hi Jerry,

Unfortunately I am looking for the full sphere :-(

Sam

CP nearly spherical
 

On Thu, 23 Nov 2006 19:04:22 GMT, "Jerry Martes" wrote:


"SamSvL" wrote in message
. ..
What would be a good (free space, 1 GHz) antenna to achieve
circular polarizarion with a nearly spherical coverage?

Thanks,

Sam


Hi Sam

If you want "half spherical" coverage for receiving a circularly polarized
signal, a turnstile is probably the easiest to build.
If your requirements for sensitivity are more stringent than the turnstile
provides, a quadrafilar helix is excellant circular polarization.

Jerry

Hi Sam,

FYI, the quadrifilar helix comprises two bifilar helices fed in phase
quadrature. The result is hemispherical radiation in the radiation sphere. But
the hemispherical radiation results from the combined radiations from each
bifilar helix. Consequently, radiation from a single bifilar helix is spherical,
with the polizarization sense the same throughout the sphere, unlike the
radiation from a turnstile, which radiates one polarization sense above the
equator and the opposite sense below the equator, where the turnstile elements
lie on the equator.

You can find info on the bifilar helix in Chapter 22 of Reflections, eds 1 and
2. If you don't have a copy of Reflections available, Chapter 22 is available
for downloading from my web page at www.w2du.com. Click on "Read Chapters from
Reflections 2" and then click on 'Chapter 22, Quadrifilar Antenna'.

Fig 22-5 shows the radiation pattern for the quadrifilar, but the radiation in
the 180° direction is suppressed due to the effect of the second helix
positioned 90° from the first helix, and fed in quadrature (90°) relative to the
first. In the absence of the second helix the radiation from a single bifilar is
spherical.

Fig 22-8 shows a simple method of feeding the bifilar helix--it's called an
'infinite balun', because the current that would flow on the outside surface of
the coax when feeding a doublet dipole without a balun is now flowing on the
outside surface of the radiator, which is what we want.

If you're interested in further info on the helices used in quadrifilars or
bifilars, see the report on my R&D experiment on quadrifilars, in which I
measured radiation patterns and driving point impedances on more than a thousand
different configurations of the quadrifilar. The R&D report is available for
downloading on my web page. Click first on "Read Appendices from Reflections 2",
and then click on 'Appendix 13, RCA R&D Quadrifilar Helix Antenna'.

Hope this helps,

Walt Maxwell, W2DU

CP nearly spherical
 

"SamSvL" wrote in message
...
"Sal M. Onella" wrote in

snip

... the "Patch" antenna works well for me and my GPS
receiver. I THINK it is CP but which rotation??? Some sources
indicate you have to nick alternate corners of the radiating element


snip

Thanks. But the patch covers only hemisphere (and a little bit more)
and I am looking for the full sphere!

Sam


Well how about building two of them, mounting them back-to-back and
combining the outputs?

"Sal"

CP nearly spherical
 

"Jerry Martes" wrote in news:rOE9h.9036$9e.2359
@trnddc02:


"SamSvL" wrote in message
...
"Jerry Martes" wrote in
news:Wgm9h.7725$9e.3808@trnddc02:


"SamSvL" wrote in message
...
What would be a good (free space, 1 GHz) antenna to achieve
circular polarizarion with a nearly spherical coverage?

Thanks,

Sam


Hi Sam

If you want "half spherical" coverage for receiving a circularly
polarized
signal, a turnstile is probably the easiest to build.
If your requirements for sensitivity are more stringent than the
turnstile
provides, a quadrafilar helix is excellant circular polarization.

Jerry

Hi Jerry,

Unfortunately I am looking for the full sphere :-(

Sam


Hi Sam

You may have alot of difficulty locating a design for an antenna that
radiates a given "circular" polarization with "spherical" coverage. I
consider those requirements to be entirely beyond reality. Are you
planning to build this antenna or buy it *off the shelf*?

Jerry

Hi Jerry,

Buy if available, build otherwise ;-((

Sam

CP nearly spherical
 

"RST Engineering" wrote in news:THG9h.6
:

Two CP hemispheric antennas back to back feeding a Wilkinson adder.

Jim


"SamSvL" wrote in message
...
Hi Jerry,

Unfortunately I am looking for the full sphere :-(

Sam


Hi Jim,

Others suggested this solution, I will try.

Thanks,

Sam

CP nearly spherical
 

Walter Maxwell wrote in
:

On Thu, 23 Nov 2006 19:04:22 GMT, "Jerry Martes"
wrote:


"SamSvL" wrote in message
.. .
What would be a good (free space, 1 GHz) antenna to achieve
circular polarizarion with a nearly spherical coverage?

Thanks,

Sam


Hi Sam

If you want "half spherical" coverage for receiving a circularly
polarized
signal, a turnstile is probably the easiest to build.
If your requirements for sensitivity are more stringent than the
turnstile
provides, a quadrafilar helix is excellant circular polarization.

Jerry

Hi Sam,

FYI, the quadrifilar helix comprises two bifilar helices fed in phase
quadrature. The result is hemispherical radiation in the radiation
sphere. But the hemispherical radiation results from the combined
radiations from each bifilar helix. Consequently, radiation from a
single bifilar helix is spherical, with the polizarization sense the
same throughout the sphere, unlike the radiation from a turnstile,
which radiates one polarization sense above the equator and the
opposite sense below the equator, where the turnstile elements lie on
the equator.

You can find info on the bifilar helix in Chapter 22 of Reflections,
eds 1 and 2. If you don't have a copy of Reflections available,
Chapter 22 is available for downloading from my web page at
www.w2du.com. Click on "Read Chapters from Reflections 2" and then
click on 'Chapter 22, Quadrifilar Antenna'.

Fig 22-5 shows the radiation pattern for the quadrifilar, but the
radiation in the 180° direction is suppressed due to the effect of the
second helix positioned 90° from the first helix, and fed in
quadrature (90°) relative to the first. In the absence of the second
helix the radiation from a single bifilar is spherical.

Fig 22-8 shows a simple method of feeding the bifilar helix--it's
called an 'infinite balun', because the current that would flow on the
outside surface of the coax when feeding a doublet dipole without a
balun is now flowing on the outside surface of the radiator, which is
what we want.

If you're interested in further info on the helices used in
quadrifilars or bifilars, see the report on my R&D experiment on
quadrifilars, in which I measured radiation patterns and driving point
impedances on more than a thousand different configurations of the
quadrifilar. The R&D report is available for downloading on my web
page. Click first on "Read Appendices from Reflections 2", and then
click on 'Appendix 13, RCA R&D Quadrifilar Helix Antenna'.

Hope this helps,

Walt Maxwell, W2DU

Hi Walt,

Thanks for your reaction. And yes, I found your articles already some
time ago. I missed the notes on the bifilar, but will study them again
carefully.

Again, thanks,

Sam

CP nearly spherical
 

"Sal M. Onella" wrote in news:0Xtah.195
:


"SamSvL" wrote in message
...
"Sal M. Onella" wrote in

snip

... the "Patch" antenna works well for me and my GPS
receiver. I THINK it is CP but which rotation??? Some sources
indicate you have to nick alternate corners of the radiating element


snip

Thanks. But the patch covers only hemisphere (and a little bit more)
and I am looking for the full sphere!

Sam


Well how about building two of them, mounting them back-to-back and
combining the outputs?

"Sal"


Hi Sal,

Will try, thanks,

Sam

CP nearly spherical
 

"SamSvL" wrote in message
...
Walter Maxwell wrote in
:

On Thu, 23 Nov 2006 19:04:22 GMT, "Jerry Martes"
wrote:


"SamSvL" wrote in message
. ..
What would be a good (free space, 1 GHz) antenna to achieve
circular polarizarion with a nearly spherical coverage?

Thanks,

Sam


Hi Sam

If you want "half spherical" coverage for receiving a circularly
polarized
signal, a turnstile is probably the easiest to build.
If your requirements for sensitivity are more stringent than the
turnstile
provides, a quadrafilar helix is excellant circular polarization.

Jerry

Hi Sam,

FYI, the quadrifilar helix comprises two bifilar helices fed in phase
quadrature. The result is hemispherical radiation in the radiation
sphere. But the hemispherical radiation results from the combined
radiations from each bifilar helix. Consequently, radiation from a
single bifilar helix is spherical, with the polizarization sense the
same throughout the sphere, unlike the radiation from a turnstile,
which radiates one polarization sense above the equator and the
opposite sense below the equator, where the turnstile elements lie on
the equator.

You can find info on the bifilar helix in Chapter 22 of Reflections,
eds 1 and 2. If you don't have a copy of Reflections available,
Chapter 22 is available for downloading from my web page at
www.w2du.com. Click on "Read Chapters from Reflections 2" and then
click on 'Chapter 22, Quadrifilar Antenna'.

Fig 22-5 shows the radiation pattern for the quadrifilar, but the
radiation in the 180° direction is suppressed due to the effect of the
second helix positioned 90° from the first helix, and fed in
quadrature (90°) relative to the first. In the absence of the second
helix the radiation from a single bifilar is spherical.

Fig 22-8 shows a simple method of feeding the bifilar helix--it's
called an 'infinite balun', because the current that would flow on the
outside surface of the coax when feeding a doublet dipole without a
balun is now flowing on the outside surface of the radiator, which is
what we want.

If you're interested in further info on the helices used in
quadrifilars or bifilars, see the report on my R&D experiment on
quadrifilars, in which I measured radiation patterns and driving point
impedances on more than a thousand different configurations of the
quadrifilar. The R&D report is available for downloading on my web
page. Click first on "Read Appendices from Reflections 2", and then
click on 'Appendix 13, RCA R&D Quadrifilar Helix Antenna'.

Hope this helps,

Walt Maxwell, W2DU

Hi Walt,

Thanks for your reaction. And yes, I found your articles already some
time ago. I missed the notes on the bifilar, but will study them again
carefully.

Again, thanks,

Sam


Hi Sam

I dont want to discourage your study of them, but, bifilar has significant
nulls for CP.

Jerry


Jerry

CP nearly spherical
 

"Jerry Martes" wrote in
news:nPEah.15278$Uz.1717@trnddc05:


"SamSvL" wrote in message
...
Walter Maxwell wrote in
:

On Thu, 23 Nov 2006 19:04:22 GMT, "Jerry Martes"
wrote:


"SamSvL" wrote in message
...
What would be a good (free space, 1 GHz) antenna to achieve
circular polarizarion with a nearly spherical coverage?

Thanks,

Sam


Hi Sam

If you want "half spherical" coverage for receiving a circularly
polarized
signal, a turnstile is probably the easiest to build.
If your requirements for sensitivity are more stringent than the
turnstile
provides, a quadrafilar helix is excellant circular polarization.

Jerry

Hi Sam,

FYI, the quadrifilar helix comprises two bifilar helices fed in
phase quadrature. The result is hemispherical radiation in the
radiation sphere. But the hemispherical radiation results from the
combined radiations from each bifilar helix. Consequently, radiation
from a single bifilar helix is spherical, with the polizarization
sense the same throughout the sphere, unlike the radiation from a
turnstile, which radiates one polarization sense above the equator
and the opposite sense below the equator, where the turnstile
elements lie on the equator.

You can find info on the bifilar helix in Chapter 22 of Reflections,
eds 1 and 2. If you don't have a copy of Reflections available,
Chapter 22 is available for downloading from my web page at
www.w2du.com. Click on "Read Chapters from Reflections 2" and then
click on 'Chapter 22, Quadrifilar Antenna'.

Fig 22-5 shows the radiation pattern for the quadrifilar, but the
radiation in the 180° direction is suppressed due to the effect of
the second helix positioned 90° from the first helix, and fed in
quadrature (90°) relative to the first. In the absence of the second
helix the radiation from a single bifilar is spherical.

Fig 22-8 shows a simple method of feeding the bifilar helix--it's
called an 'infinite balun', because the current that would flow on
the outside surface of the coax when feeding a doublet dipole
without a balun is now flowing on the outside surface of the
radiator, which is what we want.

If you're interested in further info on the helices used in
quadrifilars or bifilars, see the report on my R&D experiment on
quadrifilars, in which I measured radiation patterns and driving
point impedances on more than a thousand different configurations of
the quadrifilar. The R&D report is available for downloading on my
web page. Click first on "Read Appendices from Reflections 2", and
then click on 'Appendix 13, RCA R&D Quadrifilar Helix Antenna'.

Hope this helps,

Walt Maxwell, W2DU

Hi Walt,

Thanks for your reaction. And yes, I found your articles already some
time ago. I missed the notes on the bifilar, but will study them
again carefully.

Again, thanks,

Sam


Hi Sam

I dont want to discourage your study of them, but, bifilar has
significant
nulls for CP.

Jerry


Jerry
Hi Jerry,

The radiation pattern is doughnut shaped. You're right !

sam

CP nearly spherical
 

On Tue, 28 Nov 2006 08:55:14 +0100, SamSvL wrote:

"Jerry Martes" wrote in
news:nPEah.15278$Uz.1717@trnddc05:


"SamSvL" wrote in message
...
Walter Maxwell wrote in
:

On Thu, 23 Nov 2006 19:04:22 GMT, "Jerry Martes"
wrote:


"SamSvL" wrote in message
5...
What would be a good (free space, 1 GHz) antenna to achieve
circular polarizarion with a nearly spherical coverage?

Thanks,

Sam


Hi Sam

If you want "half spherical" coverage for receiving a circularly
polarized
signal, a turnstile is probably the easiest to build.
If your requirements for sensitivity are more stringent than the
turnstile
provides, a quadrafilar helix is excellant circular polarization.

Jerry

Hi Sam,

FYI, the quadrifilar helix comprises two bifilar helices fed in
phase quadrature. The result is hemispherical radiation in the
radiation sphere. But the hemispherical radiation results from the
combined radiations from each bifilar helix. Consequently, radiation
from a single bifilar helix is spherical, with the polizarization
sense the same throughout the sphere, unlike the radiation from a
turnstile, which radiates one polarization sense above the equator
and the opposite sense below the equator, where the turnstile
elements lie on the equator.

You can find info on the bifilar helix in Chapter 22 of Reflections,
eds 1 and 2. If you don't have a copy of Reflections available,
Chapter 22 is available for downloading from my web page at
www.w2du.com. Click on "Read Chapters from Reflections 2" and then
click on 'Chapter 22, Quadrifilar Antenna'.

Fig 22-5 shows the radiation pattern for the quadrifilar, but the
radiation in the 180° direction is suppressed due to the effect of
the second helix positioned 90° from the first helix, and fed in
quadrature (90°) relative to the first. In the absence of the second
helix the radiation from a single bifilar is spherical.

Fig 22-8 shows a simple method of feeding the bifilar helix--it's
called an 'infinite balun', because the current that would flow on
the outside surface of the coax when feeding a doublet dipole
without a balun is now flowing on the outside surface of the
radiator, which is what we want.

If you're interested in further info on the helices used in
quadrifilars or bifilars, see the report on my R&D experiment on
quadrifilars, in which I measured radiation patterns and driving
point impedances on more than a thousand different configurations of
the quadrifilar. The R&D report is available for downloading on my
web page. Click first on "Read Appendices from Reflections 2", and
then click on 'Appendix 13, RCA R&D Quadrifilar Helix Antenna'.

Hope this helps,

Walt Maxwell, W2DU

Hi Walt,

Thanks for your reaction. And yes, I found your articles already some
time ago. I missed the notes on the bifilar, but will study them
again carefully.

Again, thanks,

Sam


Hi Sam

I dont want to discourage your study of them, but, bifilar has
significant
nulls for CP.

Jerry


Jerry
Hi Jerry,

The radiation pattern is doughnut shaped. You're right !

sam

Hi Sam & Jerry,

I stand corrected, and thanks to both of you for detecting my error. As I told
Sam, it's been 26 years since I worked on the QHA, and I simply forgot that the
second bifilar fills in the null of the first, due to their quadrature
relationship. Senior moments are arriving more frequently these days at age 88.

Walt

CP nearly spherical
 

"Walter Maxwell" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 28 Nov 2006 08:55:14 +0100, SamSvL wrote:

"Jerry Martes" wrote in
news:nPEah.15278$Uz.1717@trnddc05:


"SamSvL" wrote in message
...
Walter Maxwell wrote in
:

On Thu, 23 Nov 2006 19:04:22 GMT, "Jerry Martes"
wrote:


"SamSvL" wrote in message
. 15...
What would be a good (free space, 1 GHz) antenna to achieve
circular polarizarion with a nearly spherical coverage?

Thanks,

Sam


Hi Sam

If you want "half spherical" coverage for receiving a circularly
polarized
signal, a turnstile is probably the easiest to build.
If your requirements for sensitivity are more stringent than the
turnstile
provides, a quadrafilar helix is excellant circular polarization.

Jerry

Hi Sam,

FYI, the quadrifilar helix comprises two bifilar helices fed in
phase quadrature. The result is hemispherical radiation in the
radiation sphere. But the hemispherical radiation results from the
combined radiations from each bifilar helix. Consequently, radiation
from a single bifilar helix is spherical, with the polizarization
sense the same throughout the sphere, unlike the radiation from a
turnstile, which radiates one polarization sense above the equator
and the opposite sense below the equator, where the turnstile
elements lie on the equator.

You can find info on the bifilar helix in Chapter 22 of Reflections,
eds 1 and 2. If you don't have a copy of Reflections available,
Chapter 22 is available for downloading from my web page at
www.w2du.com. Click on "Read Chapters from Reflections 2" and then
click on 'Chapter 22, Quadrifilar Antenna'.

Fig 22-5 shows the radiation pattern for the quadrifilar, but the
radiation in the 180° direction is suppressed due to the effect of
the second helix positioned 90° from the first helix, and fed in
quadrature (90°) relative to the first. In the absence of the second
helix the radiation from a single bifilar is spherical.

Fig 22-8 shows a simple method of feeding the bifilar helix--it's
called an 'infinite balun', because the current that would flow on
the outside surface of the coax when feeding a doublet dipole
without a balun is now flowing on the outside surface of the
radiator, which is what we want.

If you're interested in further info on the helices used in
quadrifilars or bifilars, see the report on my R&D experiment on
quadrifilars, in which I measured radiation patterns and driving
point impedances on more than a thousand different configurations of
the quadrifilar. The R&D report is available for downloading on my
web page. Click first on "Read Appendices from Reflections 2", and
then click on 'Appendix 13, RCA R&D Quadrifilar Helix Antenna'.

Hope this helps,

Walt Maxwell, W2DU

Hi Walt,

Thanks for your reaction. And yes, I found your articles already some
time ago. I missed the notes on the bifilar, but will study them
again carefully.

Again, thanks,

Sam


Hi Sam

I dont want to discourage your study of them, but, bifilar has
significant
nulls for CP.

Jerry


Jerry
Hi Jerry,

The radiation pattern is doughnut shaped. You're right !

sam

Hi Sam & Jerry,

I stand corrected, and thanks to both of you for detecting my error. As I
told
Sam, it's been 26 years since I worked on the QHA, and I simply forgot
that the
second bifilar fills in the null of the first, due to their quadrature
relationship. Senior moments are arriving more frequently these days at
age 88.

Walt

Hi Walt

I dont consider your statement to be an error. I suspect the bifilar
helix is the closest antenna configuration Sam could find. A casual forum
like this group has to be able to cut some slack. You made sense to me.

Jerry