On 28 Feb, 23:20, wrote:
On Feb 28, 12:29 am, Ian White GM3SEK wrote: Jim wrote:
I'll bet the hardware cost of a electronically steered phased array
for HF suitable for ham use is comparable to the hardware cost of a big
tower, rotator, and Yagi.. the phased array just isn't available as an
off the shelf product yet.

The fully steerable phased array that can also handle 1.5kW TX power is
not available as a HAM product off the shelf yet... but we can already
see where the future is headed.

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snip
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snipe). They provide a real solution to restricted
space installations, if nothing else, because you can make effective
use of the "volume" of space within a small suburban lot (i.e. the max
theoretical gain from an antenna that fits in a box that's say,
15x30x10 meters is pretty high).

Jim, W6RMK

Jim, this volume approach to gain versus linear length comparison
sounds very interesting but I have not seen any reference to it
anywhere. Basically a gaussian array say for a single feed point
makes full use of volume where other antennas which are of planar form
lose out. With a planar design one can extrapolate gain by number of
elements combined with length e.t.c but I have not seen any such gain
calculation for a volume,can you help me there?
I have found that the number of elements with respect to contained
volume is a good measurement where the array is contained within the
1/2 wave length cubed beyond which it appears to have reached its
maximum. This means having covered a real estate area of half that of
a yagi but with equivalent gain.
Ofcourse one can gang arrays together if one uses multiple feeds
but I haven't personaly pursued that approach as yet.
Glad to see you posting, most informative
Best regards
Art