COMMON ANTENNA

TYPES
Group 5
COURSE OUTLINE
I. Theoretical Reference Antennas
 Dipole antennas
 Horn antennas
 Monopole antennas
 Biconical antennas

II. Uhf and microwave antennas

 Antennas with Parabolic Reflectors
 Horn antennas
 Lens Antennas

III. Directional High Frequency Antenna

 Dipole Arrays
 Yagi-Uda Antennas
 Non Resonant Antennas
COURSE OUTLINE
IV. Wideband and special purpose antenna
 Folded Dipole
 Helical Antenna
 Discone Antenna
 Log-Periodic Antenna
 Loop Antenna
 Phase Arrays

V. Voltage and Current Relationship in Antenna

THEORETICAL REFERENCE
ANTENNAS
Mike Adrian Bactat
A theoretical reference antenna is
an antenna with known performance. It is
normally used to calibrate other
systems.
They are built with particular care taken
to make them simple, robust and
repeatable.

Common reference antennas

are horns, dipoles, monopoles and bicon
icals antennas.
These types are chosen because they
are mechanically simple and quite
electrically simple.
First the reference antenna's performance is measured
using high accuracy measurement facility.

This test may be done using an

electromagnetic anechoic chamber or another type of
antenna test range. The antenna is then measured
using a second antenna test facility.

The results from the two are compared, the

comparison can reveal the accuracy of the second test
facility. It can also be used to calibrate the second
facility.
DIPOLE ANTENNAS
• Invented by Heinrich Rudolph Hertz © 1886.
• AKA the Doublet or Hertzian antenna.
• Transmission line attaches to the center.
• Approximately λ/2 in length.
When a dipole is excited at its resonant
frequency, standing waves, as shown, are
produced.
This diagram shows the dipole’s directivity (from
above)– called its radiation pattern. It is in the
shape of a doughnut or torus, with the antenna
through the middle.
• The Front to Back Ratio (F/B) is a ratio (in dB) of
the gain of the major lobe to the gain in the
opposite direction.

• The dipole has no F/B ratio because it is

bidirectional, but many other antennas are
unidirectional.

• The beamwidth is approx 80 degrees (each way).

• The effect of the ground, when the antenna is mounted
at practical heights (below 10 λ), is to reflect the signal.
It is as if there were an image of the antenna below the
surface.
• The presence of this image antenna tends to lower the
feedpoint impedance of the dipole.
• The combination of the direct wave and reflected wave
tends to tilt the radiation upwards.
The preferred term is effective aperture. Effective aperture is defined as:

where λ is the wavelength of operation and G is the linear gain of the antenna.

So you can see from equation 1 that you need to include the gain of the antenna - this was
not reflected in your formula. The gain of the antenna is defined as:

Gain = Efficiency ∗ Directivity

A 1/2 wave dipole has a directivity of 1.65. When you shorten the dipole, it's directivity
decreases but quickly reaches a terminal value of 1.5 no matter how much more it is
shortened.

What has the ultimate impact on the Ae in the case of a small dipole is its efficiency.
Efficiency is defined as:

Efficiency = Rr / Rr+Rl
HALF-WAVE DIPOLE
ANTENNAS
The linear half-wave dipole is
one of the most widely used
antennas at frequencies above
2MHz.
It is generally referred to as a
Hertz antenna after Heinrich
Hertz.
A hertz Antenna is a resonant
antenna. That is, It is a multiple
of quarter-wavelengths long
and open circuited at the far
end.
The impedance varies from a maximum value at the
ends of approximately 2500 ohms to a minimum value
at the feed point of approximately 73 ohms (of which
between 68 ohms and 70 ohms is the radiation
resistance).
For an ideal antenna the efficiency is 100%, directivity
equals power gain and the radiation resistance equals
the input impedance (73); thus
D = A = 120 / radiation resistance
= 120 / 73
= 1.644

10 log 1.64 = 2.18 dB

:
The effective area, also called effective aperture, is the power
observed at the antenna feed point, divided by the irradiance to
which the antenna is exposed.
Irradiance is expressed as power per area, for example "1 microwatt
per square meter". Effective aperture is an area. For example if the
irradiance is 1μW/m2 and I observe 2μW at the antenna feedpoint, the
antenna's effective aperture must be 2 square meters.
This is simply another way of expressing gain. Gain (G) and effective
aperture (Ae) are related by:

So when you say a quarter wave dipole and a much smaller dipole
have the same effective aperture, you are saying they have the same
gain.
Furthermore, you are saying they have a gain of:

Which simplifies to

To find the effective are the formula is

SAMPLE PROBLEM
Find the effective are of the following antennas:
a. Half-wave dipole antenna operating at 500 MHz.
b. Hertzian dipole antenna operating at 100 MHz.
HORN ANTENNAS
The horn is widely used as a feed element for large radio
astronomy, satellite tracking, and communication dishes
found installed throughout the world.
In addition to its utility as a feed for reflectors and lenses, it
is a common element of phased arrays and serves as a
universal standard for calibration and gain measurements of
other high-gain antennas.
The horn is nothing more than a hollow pipe of
different cross sections, which has been tapered
(flared) to a larger opening.
The type, direction, and amount of taper (flare) can
have a profound effect on the overall performance
of the element as a radiator.

An electromagnetic horn can take many different

forms, four of which are
 (a) E-plane (b) H-plane
 (c) Pyramidal (d) Conical
MONOPOLE ANTENNAS
A monopole antenna is one half of a dipole
antenna, almost always mounted above some sort of
ground plane.
The case of a monopole antenna of
length L mounted above an infinite ground plane is
shown.
The radiation pattern of monopole antennas above a
ground plane are also known from the dipole result.

The only change that needs to be noted is that the

impedance of a monopole antenna is one half of that
of a full dipole antenna.
Both monopole and dipole antennas exhibit similar radiation
patterns and performance, except that monopole antennas are
not symmetric vertically.
The size and design constraints of requiring a ground plane for
monopole antennas is often restrictive and the radiation pattern
of the monopole depends on the orientation of the ground
plane.
Dipole antennas, however, have a vertically symmetric
radiation pattern, and can relatively easily be oriented in the
direction of optimum reception/transmission.
BICONICAL ANTENNAS
A biconical antenna consists of an arrangement of
two conical conductors, which is driven by
potential, charge, or an alternating magnetic field
(and the associated alternating electric current) at
the vertex.
The conductors have a common axis and vertex.
The two cones face in opposite directions
Biconical antennas are
broadband dipole antennas,
typically exhibiting a
bandwidth of three octaves or
more.
It is formed by placing two
cones of infinite extent together
which is used to achieve
broadband characteristics.
While the Biconical is very
broadband, it exhibits poor
efficiency at low frequencies,
resulting in low field strengths
when compared to the input
power.
Whenever one of the cones is
mounted on an infinite plane
conductor (i.e the lower cone is
replaced by the ground plane) , it
forms a unipole and its input
impedance is one half of the two-
cone structure.
UHF AND MICROWAVE
ANTENNAS
Rebekah Presores
ANTENNAS WITH
PARABOLIC REFLECTORS
The parabola is a plane curve, defined
as the locus of a point which moves so
that its distance from another point
(called the focus) plus its distance
from a straight line (directrix) is
constant.
GEOMETRY OF
THE PARABOLA

FP + PP' = FQ +
QQ' = FR + RR' =
k

where:
k = a constant, which may
be changed if a different
shape of parabola is
required
AF = focal length of the
parabola
PROPERTIES OF PARABOLOID REFLECTORS
where:

𝜙 = 70λ / D λ = wavelength, m

Ø= beamwidth between half-power points, degrees

𝜙o = 2𝜙 Øo = beamwidth between nulls, degrees

D = mouth diameter, m
PROBLEM
Calculate the beamwidth between nulls of a
2-m paraboloid reflector used at 6 GHz. Such
reflectors are often used at that frequency as
antennas in outside broadcast television
microwave links.
SOLUTION
𝜙o = 2 x (70λ / D)

= 140 x (0.05 / 2)

𝜙o = 3.5°
APERTURE RATIO
where:

Ap = directivity (with respect to isotropic antenna)

Ap = 6 (D / λ)2 GP = power gain if antenna is lossless

D = mouth diameter of reflector, m

PROBLEM
Calculate the gain of the antenna
of Example 9-4.
SOLUTION
Ap = 6 (D / λ)2

= 6 (200 / 5)2

= 9600
a. b. FEED
MECHANISMS
a. Center-fed
paraboloid
reflector-with
spherical shell

c.
b. Paraboloid
reflector with horn
feed

c. Geometry of the
Cassegrain feed
27 .5-m 'paraboloid reflector with Cassegrain feed
OTHER
PARABOLIC
REFLECTORS

(a) Cut
paraboloid

(b) Paraboloid
Cylinder

(c) “Pillbox."
SHORTCOMINGS AND DIFFICULTIES
The beam from an antenna with a paraboloid reflector
should be a narrow beam, but in practice contains side
lobes. These have several unpleasant effects, such as:

presence of false echoes in radar, due to reflections from the

direction of side lobes (particularly from nearby objects)

is the increase in noise at the antenna terminals, caused by

reception from sources in a direction other than the main one.
CAPTURE AREA
This is the effective receiving area of the parabolic reflector and may
be calculated from the power received and its comparison with the
power density of the signal being received.

Ao= kA
Where:
A0 = capture area
A = actual area
k = constant depending on the antenna type and configuration =
0.65 (approximately) for a paraboloid fed by a half-wave dipole
HORN ANTENNAS
 BASIC HORNS
flares out in both
directions and has
the shape of a
truncated pyramid.
flares out in one
direction only and
is the equivalent of
the pillbox
Pyramidal Horn
parabolic reflector

Sectoral Horn Circular Horn is similar to pyramidal

and is thus a logical
termination for a
circular waveguide.
SPECIAL HORNS
There are two antennas in use which
are rather difficult to classify, since
each is a cross between a horn and a
parabolic reflector. They are the
Cass-horn and the triply folded horn
reflector, the latter more commonly
called the hoghorn antenna.
 CASS-HORN
ANTENNA
• It has a gain and
beamwidth
comparable to those
of a paraboloid
reflector of the same
diameter.

• It is therefore a low-
noise antenna and is
used in satellite
tracking and
communications
stations.
 HOGHORN
ANTENNA
• It is an another
combination of
paraboloid and horn.
• It consists of a parabolic
cylinder joined to a
pyramidal horn, with
rays emanating from, or
being received at, the
apex of the horn.
• An advantage of the
hoghorn antenna is that
the receiving point does
not move when the
(a) Perspective view; (b) ray paths.
antenna is rotated about
its axis.
LENS ANTENNAS
 Operation of the lens antenna.

(a) Optical explanation; (b) wavefront explanation

 ZONING OR
STEPPING OF
DIELECTRIC
LENSES
This is often used to cure the
problem of great thickness
required of lenses used at
lower microwave
frequencies or for strongly
curved wavefronts.
Not only would the lens be
thick and heavy without
zoning, but it would also
absorb a large proportion of
the radiation passing
through it. This is because
Zoned lenses. any dielectric with a large
enough refractive index
must, for that very reason,
absorb a lot of power.
TWO MAJOR APPLICATIONS
It may be employed to correct the curved wavefront from a shallow
horn (in which case it is mounted directly over the mouth of the horn)
OR as an antenna in its own right.

Advantages Disadvantages

greater design tolerances greater bulk

the fact that there is no primary expense
antenna mount to obstruct radiation
design difficulties
DIRECTIONAL HIGH FREQUENCY
ANTENNA
John Robinson Panis
DIRECTIONAL HIGH FREQUENCY ANTENNA
Directional High Frequency Antenna are likely
to differ from lower-frequency ones for two
reasons. These are the HF
transmission/reception requirements and the
ability to meet them. Since much of HF
communication is likely to be point-to-point,
the requirement is for fairly concentrated
beams instead of omnidirectional radiation.
Such radiation patterns are achievable at
Directional High Frequency Antenna, because
of the shorter wavelengths. Antennas can be
constructed with overall dimensions of several
wavelengths while retaining a manageable
size.
DIPOLE ARRAYS
An antenna array is a radiation system consisting of grouped radiators, or elements .
These are placed close together so as to be within each other’s induction field. They
therefore interact with one another to produce a resulting radiation pattern that is
the vector sum of the individual ones.
Whether reinforcement or cancellation takes place in any given direction is
determined not only by the individual characteristics of each element, but also by
the spacing between elements, as measured in wavelengths, and the phase
difference (if any) between the various feed points.
PARASITIC ELEMENTS:
• It is not necessary for all the elements of an array to be connected to the output of
the transmitter, although this does, in fact, happen in quite a number of arrays. A
radiating element so connected is called a driven element, whereas an element not
connected is called a parasitic element. Such a parasitic element receives energy
through the induction field created by a driven element, rather than by a direct
connection to the transmission line.
• As a generalization, a parasitic element longer than the driven one and close to it
reduces signal strength in its own direction and increases it in the opposite
direction. It acts in a manner similar to a concave minor in optics and is called a
reflector.A parasitic element shorter than the driven one from which it receives
energy tends to increase radiation in its own direction and therefore behaves like
the convergent convex lens, which is called a director.
BROADSIDE ARRAY
Possibly the simplest array consists of a number of dipoles of equal size, equally spaced
along a straight line (i.e., collinear), with all dipoles fed in the same phase from the same
source. Such an arrangement is called a broadside array.
The broadside array is strongly directional at right angles to the plane of the array, while
radiating very little in the plane. The name comes from the naval term broadside.
Typical antenna lengths in the broadside array are from 2 to 10 wavelengths, typical
spacing’s are λ/2 or λ, and dozens of elements may be used in the one array. Note that any
array that is Directional High Frequency Antenna at right angles to the plane of the array is
said to have broadside action.
END-FIRE ARRAY
The physical arrangement of the end-fire array is almost the same as that of the
broadside array. However, although the magnitude of the current in each element is
still the same as in every other element, there is now a phase difference between these
currents.
Both the end-fire and broadside arrays are called linear, and both are resonant since
they consist of resonant elements.
FOLDED DIPOLE AND APPLICATIONS
the folded dipole is a single antenna, but it consists of two elements. The first is fed
directly while the second is coupled inductively at the ends. The radiation pattern of
the folded dipole is the same as that of a straight dipole, but its input impedance is
greater.
THE YAGI-UDA ANTENNA
A Yagi-Uda antenna is an array consisting of a driven element and one or more parasitic
elements. They are arranged collinearly and close together, together with the optical
equivalent and the radiation pattern.
Since it is relatively unidirectional, as the radiation pattern shows, and has a moderate gain
in the vicinity of 7 dB, the Yagi antenna is used as an Directional High Frequency Antenna.
It is also employed at higher frequencies, particularly as a VHF television receiving
antenna
NONRESONANT ANTENNAS
A major requirement for Directional High Frequency Antenna is the need for a multi-
band antenna capable of operating satisfactorily over most or all of the 3- to 30-MHz
range, for either reception or transmission. One of the obvious solutions is to employ
an array of nonresonant antennas, whose characteristics will not change too drastically
over this frequency range.
WIDEBAND AND SPECIAL
PURPOSE ANTENNA
Sean Jigo Cesare R. Caraan
WHY GO WIDEBAND?
A system will be called a wideband
when the message bandwidth
significantly exceeds the coherence
bandwidth of the channel
WHY GO WIDEBAND?
WIDEBAND AND SPECIAL PURPOSE ANTENNA
Folded Dipole (Bandwidth Compensation)
Helical Antenna
Discone Antenna
Log-Periodic Antenna
Loop Antenna
Phased Arrays
FOLDED DIPOLE (BANDWIDTH
COMPENSATION)
FOLDED DIPOLE (BANDWIDTH
COMPENSATION)
The LC circuit is parallel-resonant at the half wave dipole
resonant frequency

At the resonant frequency – has high resistance, and

therefore does not affect the total impedance seen by
transmission line
Below the resonant frequency – the antenna reactance
becomes capacitive
Above the resonant frequency – the antenna reactance
becomes inductive
HELICAL ANTENNA
HELICAL ANTENNA
An antenna that consists of a loosely
wound helix backed up by a ground
plane, which is simply a screen made of
“chicken” wire
HELICAL ANTENNA
Has two mode of radiation:
Normal – radiation is in a direction at right
angles to the axis of the helix

Axial – produces a broadband, fairly

directional radiation in the axial direction
HELICAL ANTENNA

This typical dimensions of helical antenna has values

of:
Directivity close to 25
Beamwidth of 90 degrees
DISCONE ANTENNA
DISCONE ANTENNA
An antenna that is as the name suggests, a
combination of a disc and a cone in close
proximity.
It is a ground plane antenna evolved from the
vertical dipole and having a very similar
radiation pattern
DISCONE ANTENNA
Low gain antenna but is omnidirectional
LOG-PERIODIC ANTENNA
LOG-PERIODIC ANTENNA
These are class of antennas which vary widely in physical appearance

The dipole lengths and separations are related by the formula below which makes it
“log-periodic”
LOG-PERIODIC ANTENNA
LOOP ANTENNAS
LOOP ANTENNAS
Radiation pattern has a doughnut pattern which
makes it useful on some cases such as direction
finding
VOLTAGE AND CURRENT
RELATIONSHIP IN ANTENNA
John Jeffrey Gonzales
A complete antenna system consists of three
parts:

• the COUPLING DEVICE (coupling coil)

connects the transmitter to the feeder
• the FEEDER is a transmission line that
carries energy to the antenna
• the ANTENNA radiates this energy into
space
 TYPICAL
ANTENNA
Principles of Radiation of Electromagnetic Energy:
• (1) A moving Electric Field creates a Magnetic (H) Field
• (2) A moving Magnetic Field creates an Electric (E) Field

• In space, these two fields will be in phase and perpendicular to each other at
any given time
Voltage through a wire produce an Electric Field and
Current through a wire produce a Magnetic Field
Voltage through a wire produce an Electric Field and
Current through a wire produce a Magnetic Field
VOLTAGE AND CURRENT IN ANTENNA

• the current and voltage on any radiating

element vary along length of any antenna
• the current variation occurs because
standing waves are set up along the length
of the radiating element
• the current falls to zero at the end and the
varies sinusoidally reaching a peak a
quarter wavelength away from the end
VOLTAGE AND CURRENT IN ANTENNA

• the voltage peaks at the end and then

varies as the cosine as the distance away
from the end increases
• dependent upon the length of the antenna,
there may be several peaks and troughs of
current and voltage along the length of the
radiating element
 Ex. Half-Wave antenna
• View A - at a given time the right side of
the generator is positive and the left side
negative
• View B - shows the direction and
distribution of electron flow
• View C - No current will be flowing, but a
maximum number of electrons will be at
the left end of the line and a minimum
number at the right end