I have on order a tilting system for my antenna to probe the
polarisation of incoming signals
for maximum audio clarity and gain.
There are instruments out there that can automatically tell you the
polarisation
without one taking the trouble to pan the antenna in different
directions.
Anybody out there follow such a procedure with the antenna or use a
homebrew
or commercial instrument to save time?
Regards
Art

On Sat, 15 Mar 2008 08:52:01 -0700 (PDT), Art Unwin
wrote:

Anybody out there follow such a procedure with the antenna

Phase steerable array.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

Art Unwin wrote:
I have on order a tilting system for my antenna to probe the
polarisation of incoming signals
for maximum audio clarity and gain.
There are instruments out there that can automatically tell you the
polarisation
without one taking the trouble to pan the antenna in different
directions.

Never saw one that didn't need an antenna capable of being switched
(either electronically or machanically) beween different polarizations.
Which instrument did you see?

Alan

Art wrote:
"Anybody out there follow such a procedure with the antenna or use a
homebrew or commercial instrument to save time?"

Search on goniometer.

I was doing my thing in Argentina when El Jefe or the boss called me
into his office to ask me why my assistant had requisitioned a
goniometer instead of the company doctor. I had to explain that it was
not a medical diagnostic instrument.

Best regards, Richard Harrison, KB5WZI

Art Unwin wrote:
I have on order a tilting system for my antenna to probe the
polarisation of incoming signals
for maximum audio clarity and gain.
There are instruments out there that can automatically tell you the
polarisation
without one taking the trouble to pan the antenna in different
directions.
Anybody out there follow such a procedure with the antenna or use a
homebrew
or commercial instrument to save time?
Regards
Art
There's lots of ways to do this. calibration is always an issue.

For instance, two helices wound with opposite senses can be run through
a variable combiner. (the helices can be on the same form, and are
coincident.

There'a variety of tripole antennas used for this sort of thing, too.

3 crossed short, resistively loaded dipoles or loops is also used.

A very clever scheme uses half loops sticking out of a conductive sphere
as a simultaneous E and H field probe. The electronics is all inside
the sphere, and you bring the data out on fiber optics.

On Mon, 17 Mar 2008 09:17:01 -0700, Jim Lux
wrote:

run through a variable combiner

Hi Jim,

As Richard pointed out, a goniometer (what, a 100 years old already?)
works fine for this. I bought one at a Ham swap when I was a
teenager. I also pointed this goniometer/antenna application out to
Arthur to demonstrate what he thought was novel was quite old (in
reference to the work of Tosi and Bellini). Arthur does not
acknowledge prior inventors, so this topic consistently re-emerges
with a fair periodicity. It should reappear around July again.

For those who want to see a schematic of the goniometer and antenna
application, here is a perfectly good example:
http://www.elektronikschule.de/~krau...ng%20-%205.htm

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

Richard Clark wrote:
On Mon, 17 Mar 2008 09:17:01 -0700, Jim Lux
wrote:


run through a variable combiner


Hi Jim,

As Richard pointed out, a goniometer (what, a 100 years old already?)
works fine for this.

A potential problem with a goniometers is that they aren't particularly
broadband, although, I suppose that if the relative coupling ratios
change with frequency, at least they're consistent.

The example cited below is an example of this. You adjust for best
null/peak on your desired signal, which is narrow band. The setting for
one frequency isn't likely to be the same as the setting for another
frequency.

In an application where you want to combine multiple skywave paths, one
probably wants something that can be automatically adjusted.



I bought one at a Ham swap when I was a
teenager. I also pointed this goniometer/antenna application out to
Arthur to demonstrate what he thought was novel was quite old (in
reference to the work of Tosi and Bellini). Arthur does not
acknowledge prior inventors, so this topic consistently re-emerges
with a fair periodicity. It should reappear around July again.

For those who want to see a schematic of the goniometer and antenna
application, here is a perfectly good example:
http://www.elektronikschule.de/~krau...ng%20-%205.htm

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

On Mon, 17 Mar 2008 11:57:21 -0700, Jim Lux
wrote:

In an application where you want to combine multiple skywave paths, one
probably wants something that can be automatically adjusted.

Hi Jim,

That would be called a telephone.

The objection to adjustments being necessary is duly noted; the same
characterisitic is one that has been historically prized within the
Ham world.

My goniometer was untuned.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

Richard Clark wrote:
On Mon, 17 Mar 2008 11:57:21 -0700, Jim Lux
wrote:


In an application where you want to combine multiple skywave paths, one
probably wants something that can be automatically adjusted.


Hi Jim,

That would be called a telephone.

Or a reliable communications system.

The objection to adjustments being necessary is duly noted; the same
characterisitic is one that has been historically prized within the
Ham world.

More knobs better?

My goniometer was untuned.


Most Iv'e seen are basically just coils and not designed to be narrow
band. My comment was more that the transfer function varies not only as
a function of the moving coil position, but also frequency. I suppose
one could build a tuned one.


73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

"Richard Clark" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 17 Mar 2008 09:17:01 -0700, Jim Lux
wrote:

run through a variable combiner

Hi Jim,

As Richard pointed out, a goniometer (what, a 100 years old already?)
works fine for this. I bought one at a Ham swap when I was a
teenager. I also pointed this goniometer/antenna application out to
Arthur to demonstrate what he thought was novel was quite old (in
reference to the work of Tosi and Bellini). Arthur does not
acknowledge prior inventors, so this topic consistently re-emerges
with a fair periodicity. It should reappear around July again.

For those who want to see a schematic of the goniometer and antenna
application, here is a perfectly good example:
http://www.elektronikschule.de/~krau...ng%20-%205.htm

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

Hi Richard

Is it possible that Sheldon Remington is trying to acknowledge Art's
previous work as indicated by his naming him in the title of his article?

J