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#1
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Starting point for antenna design
Can someone explain to me how a new antenna design is started. Do you
take an initial standard design and then enter it into a modeling program and optimize it for the required parameters ? Is there a suitable reference book that would explain this process. I am thinking about the Cebik antenna modeling book but think this may only cover how to model and change an existing design,would it cover how to come up with the initial design in the first place ? Example: Say I want to design a 4 Element Yagi at 921 MHz using 6mm diameter elements. Is there a standard formula that would be used to calculate initial lengths and distances between elements. Then you enter this design into say EZNEC and use the optimizer to tweak the design. Thanks in advance Regards David |
#2
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Starting point for antenna design
A very good source of starting designs is _Yagi Antenna Design_ by James
Lawson, W2PV, published by the ARRL. It clearly illustrates the various tradeoffs which can be made in Yagi design, and gives lots of alternatives. There is no "ideal" design, since there are so many tradeoffs to be made -- gain, front/back ratio, bandwidth, size, which you can't maximize all at once. EZNEC doesn't have an optimizer -- if you use EZNEC you have to tweak the design yourself. People who have used optimizing programs have told me they've often been able to improve on the "optimized" design by hand tweaking with EZNEC. Roy Lewallen, W7EL David wrote: Can someone explain to me how a new antenna design is started. Do you take an initial standard design and then enter it into a modeling program and optimize it for the required parameters ? Is there a suitable reference book that would explain this process. I am thinking about the Cebik antenna modeling book but think this may only cover how to model and change an existing design,would it cover how to come up with the initial design in the first place ? Example: Say I want to design a 4 Element Yagi at 921 MHz using 6mm diameter elements. Is there a standard formula that would be used to calculate initial lengths and distances between elements. Then you enter this design into say EZNEC and use the optimizer to tweak the design. Thanks in advance Regards David |
#3
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Starting point for antenna design
Roy:
Whatever happened to YO? Was that one of your creations which you stopped selling? Or was it Beezley's? -- Crazy George W5VPQ My real address is my ham call atARRL.NET The ATTGlobal is a SPAM trap. "Roy Lewallen" wrote in message ... A very good source of starting designs is _Yagi Antenna Design_ by James Lawson, W2PV, published by the ARRL. It clearly illustrates the various tradeoffs which can be made in Yagi design, and gives lots of alternatives. There is no "ideal" design, since there are so many tradeoffs to be made -- gain, front/back ratio, bandwidth, size, which you can't maximize all at once. EZNEC doesn't have an optimizer -- if you use EZNEC you have to tweak the design yourself. People who have used optimizing programs have told me they've often been able to improve on the "optimized" design by hand tweaking with EZNEC. Roy Lewallen, W7EL David wrote: Can someone explain to me how a new antenna design is started. Do you take an initial standard design and then enter it into a modeling program and optimize it for the required parameters ? Is there a suitable reference book that would explain this process. I am thinking about the Cebik antenna modeling book but think this may only cover how to model and change an existing design,would it cover how to come up with the initial design in the first place ? Example: Say I want to design a 4 Element Yagi at 921 MHz using 6mm diameter elements. Is there a standard formula that would be used to calculate initial lengths and distances between elements. Then you enter this design into say EZNEC and use the optimizer to tweak the design. Thanks in advance Regards David |
#4
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Starting point for antenna design
Crazy George wrote:
Roy: Whatever happened to YO? Was that one of your creations which you stopped selling? Or was it Beezley's? That was Brian Beezley's program. The last I heard, you can still buy it and his other programs, but only by mail. Look up K6STI in one of the amateur radio databases for his address. Roy Lewallen, W7EL |
#5
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Starting point for antenna design
There are many parameters to chose in designing an antenna. Beyond the
antenna itself are the costs, tolerable size, available materials and available tools. I recently took the ARRL antenna course and purchased Roy's EZNEC+ program. I describe my current level as an "advanced beginner". I once scaled a 4 (5?) element yagi for an antenna measuring event from the Arrl Handbook to 1296mhz using a piece of plastic tube for a boom and #12 wire for elements. The measured gain and the plot looked pretty much like the book said it would. It fits in a "book-sized" box. My current project is "What can I do with a 20 foot radiator?" Working out the details (the devil is indeed in the details!) sure is a lot easier with EZNEC than it is with physical modeling. There are not many antennas that cannot be evolved from a straight piece of wire. On Thu, 12 Jan 2006 00:39:01 GMT, David wrote: Can someone explain to me how a new antenna design is started. Do you take an initial standard design and then enter it into a modeling program and optimize it for the required parameters ? Is there a suitable reference book that would explain this process. I am thinking about the Cebik antenna modeling book but think this may only cover how to model and change an existing design,would it cover how to come up with the initial design in the first place ? Example: Say I want to design a 4 Element Yagi at 921 MHz using 6mm diameter elements. Is there a standard formula that would be used to calculate initial lengths and distances between elements. Then you enter this design into say EZNEC and use the optimizer to tweak the design. Thanks in advance Regards David John Ferrell W8CCW |
#6
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Starting point for antenna design
John Ferrell wrote:
My current project is "What can I do with a 20 foot radiator?" Working out the details (the devil is indeed in the details!) sure is a lot easier with EZNEC than it is with physical modeling. Assuming a 20 ft. vertical with 20 ft. radials, how about feeding it with an autotuner, like the SGC-230, and using it for 40m-10m? It will also work at reduced power output on 75m. -- 73, Cecil, http://www.qsl.net/w5dxp |
#7
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Starting point for antenna design
On Wed, 11 Jan 2006 18:53:06 -0800, Roy Lewallen
wrote: A very good source of starting designs is _Yagi Antenna Design_ by James Lawson, W2PV, published by the ARRL. It clearly illustrates the various tradeoffs which can be made in Yagi design, and gives lots of alternatives. There is no "ideal" design, since there are so many tradeoffs to be made -- gain, front/back ratio, bandwidth, size, which you can't maximize all at once. EZNEC doesn't have an optimizer -- if you use EZNEC you have to tweak the design yourself. People who have used optimizing programs have told me they've often been able to improve on the "optimized" design by hand tweaking with EZNEC. Roy Lewallen, W7EL I second Roy's recommendation and add one. If Yagi antennas are the interest then in addition to Lawson, you need Leeson; "Physical Design of Yagi Antennas", by David Leeson, W6QHS. It is not enough to come up with a super-duper electrical design if you can't actually assemble it or keep it in the air after it's assembled. For example many "optimized" or "fifty-ohm feedpoint" designs are so mechanically unbalanced that they put a large unbalanced strain on the rotator if mounted near the boom center. If mounted at a static balance point they turn into a windcock and damage the rotor from that stress. So a well engineered antenna is one that not only performs well from a gain, FB and SWR standpoint, but is also easy on the tower and rotator and will last years in the air without degradation. |
#8
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Starting point for antenna design
You miss my motives!
I have a Cushcraft A4 beam that works very well with my Ten Tec Pegasus transceiver (inboard LDG tuner). In my eyes it is the perfect rig! I am not breaking any new ground. I am simply doing the lab exercise of validating the EZNEC calculations. I may find it worthwhile to drop to an 8-foot radiator and higher (10-Meters?) for ease of construction. The principal area of interest is in radiators less than 1/4 wave in length. At the moment, I am especially interested in the different feed arrangements. I am starting with the "Gotham" style of a single base loading coil and minimal radials then I plan on an autotransformer arrangement. I have a fair amount of room, a lot of scrap metal and wire is cheap! The principal limitations are time and my level of intellect... Staying on track will be a problem, moving the load up the radiator is already looking appealing! On Thu, 12 Jan 2006 15:14:32 GMT, Cecil Moore wrote: John Ferrell wrote: My current project is "What can I do with a 20 foot radiator?" Working out the details (the devil is indeed in the details!) sure is a lot easier with EZNEC than it is with physical modeling. Assuming a 20 ft. vertical with 20 ft. radials, how about feeding it with an autotuner, like the SGC-230, and using it for 40m-10m? It will also work at reduced power output on 75m. John Ferrell W8CCW |
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