Class Activity - Wavelength

ECEN 150 Class Activity: Wavelength Name: Douglas Slade
Fill out this form as you complete the activity and then turn it in for credit.
Objective: Determine the wavelength of a radio frequency and construct a radio antenna that is ½ the
wavelength for that frequency.
Materials Needed: 1 center insulator (prefabricated plastic plate with SO 239 connector and
connecting lugs)
2 end insulators (3-inch section of PVC pipe)
20 feet (approx) of small-gauge, uninsulated wire
1 ruler (calibrated in metric units)
1 glue stick
1 wire cutter
1 pliers
1 small adjustable wrench
Equipment Required: 1 antenna analyzer and short coaxial cable (RG8 or RG8X with PL 259 connectors
at both ends)
Background:
“The dipole antenna is a particularly important form of RF antenna which is very widely used for radio
transmitting and receiving applications. The dipole is often used on its own as an RF antenna, but it also
forms the essential element in many other types of RF antenna. As such it is the possibly the most
important form of RF antenna.
“As the name suggests the dipole antenna consists of two terminals or ‘poles’ into which radio
frequency current flows. This current and the associated voltage causes and electromagnetic or radio
signal to be radiated. Being more specific, a dipole is generally taken to be an antenna that consists of a
resonant length of conductor. For resonance the conductor is an odd number of half wavelengths long.
In most cases a single half wavelength is used.
“The length of a dipole is the main determining factor for the operating frequency of the dipole antenna.
Although the antenna may be an electrical half wavelength, or multiple of half wavelengths, it is not
exactly the same length as the wavelength for a signal travelling in free space. There are a number of
reasons for this and it means that an antenna will be slightly shorter than the length calculated for a
wave travelling in free space.
“For a half wave dipole the length for a wave travelling in free space is calculated and this is multiplied
by a factor "A". Typically it is between 0.96 and 0.98 and is mainly dependent upon the ratio of the
length of the antenna to the thickness of the wire or tube used as the element. Its value can be
approximated from the graph:
Multiplication factor "A" used for calculating the length of a dipole
“In order to calculate the length of a half wave dipole the simple formulae given below can be used:
Length (meters) = 150 x A / frequency in MHz
Length (inches) = 5905 x A / frequency in MHz
“Using these formulae it is possible to calculate the length of a half wave dipole. Even though calculated
lengths are normally quite repeatable it is always best to make any prototype antenna slightly longer
than the calculations might indicate. This needs to be done because changes in the thickness of wire
being used etc may alter the length slightly and it is better to make it slightly too long than too short so
that it can be trimmed so that it resonates on the right frequency. It is best to trim the antenna length in
small steps because the wire or tube cannot be replaced very easily once it has been removed.”
(From http://www.radio-electronics.com/info/antennas/dipole/dipole.php.)
For the wire used in this activity, the multiplication factor “A”, referenced above, is about 0.95. That
means the antenna current flows at about 95% the speed of light.
λ = C/f where
λ = wavelength in meters
C = the speed of light (3.00 x 10 8 meters/second or 300 x 10 6 m/s)
f = frequency (in Hz or cycles/second)
Because current only flows at about 95% the speed of light in the antenna, the wavelength of the
antenna should be calculated as
λ in meters = [(0.95) x (300 x 10 6 m/s)] / f in Hz OR λ in meters = 285 / f in MHz
A dipole antenna is only ½ λ long, so its total length is
½ λ in meters = 142.5 / f in MHz
½ Wavelength (λ/2)
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Procedure:
1. Calculate and record λ for a frequency of 29 MHz.
λ = 4.9138 meters (λ = C/f)
2. Calculate and record the antenna length for a frequency of 29 MHz.
Length of antenna = 4.9138 meters (1/2 λ x 0.95 = 142.5 / f in MHz)
Length of each leg = 2.4619 meters (1/4 λ x 0.95 = 71.25 / f in MHz)
3. Cut each antenna leg about 6 inches longer than the calculated length so that the
finished length, after attaching it to the insulators, will be correct.
4. Attach a PVC insulator to the end of each antenna leg by threading the wire through the
holes and twisting it back on itself.
5. Measure the calculated distance from the end of the wire loop at the PVC insulator to
the un-terminated end of each antenna leg and cut off the remaining wire.
6. Attach each leg to one of the lugs on the plastic, center insulator.
7. Attach the antenna to the antenna analyzer and read the frequency where Xs is a
minimum value. This is the resonant frequency of the antenna. Record the resonant
frequency.
f = 28.66 MHz
8. Calculate the percentage of error between the desired frequency of 29 MHz and your
measure frequency.
% error = 1.17 %
Discussion and Conclusions:
1. Was your antenna too long or too short? What factors contributed to the errors that
caused a difference between the desired resonant frequency and the actual resonant
frequency of your antenna?
Our antenna was too long and resulted in a shorter frequency. Some other errors that
occurred were our wires coming loose from the clips holding them to the buffer, which
also added slack to our antenna since we could not pull the wires very taught.
2. What would happen to the resonant frequency if you cut some wire of each end of the
antenna?
The frequency would have risen because of the shorter distance between the ends,
which would have made for a shorter ½ frequency which would have compressed the
signal.
3. If the university’s primary FM radio station (KBYR, 100.5 MHz) used a dipole antenna,
how long would it be?
142.5/100.5 = 1.4179 The antenna for the KBYR would have to be 1.4179 meters.

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ECEN 150 Class Activity: Wavelength Name: Douglas Slade

2 end insulators (3-inch section of PVC pipe)

20 feet (approx) of small-gauge, uninsulated wire

1 ruler (calibrated in metric units)

1 small adjustable wrench

Multiplication factor "A" used for calculating the length of a dipole

Length (meters) = 150 x A / frequency in MHz

Length (inches) = 5905 x A / frequency in MHz

C = the speed of light (3.00 x 10 8 meters/second or 300 x 10 6 m/s)

f = frequency (in Hz or cycles/second)

λ in meters = [(0.95) x (300 x 10 6 m/s)] / f in Hz OR λ in meters = 285 / f in MHz

A dipole antenna is only ½ λ long, so its total length is

½ λ in meters = 142.5 / f in MHz

1. Calculate and record λ for a frequency of 29 MHz.

λ = 4.9138 meters (λ = C/f)

2. Calculate and record the antenna length for a frequency of 29 MHz.

Length of antenna = 4.9138 meters (1/2 λ x 0.95 = 142.5 / f in MHz)

Length of each leg = 2.4619 meters (1/4 λ x 0.95 = 71.25 / f in MHz)

Discussion and Conclusions:

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