SIMPLE''

WIRE'HF'ANTENNA'
OZAUKEE'RADIO'CLUB'
W9IPR'AND'GROUP'
ARRL'Essen2al'Publica2ons'
ARRL'Wire'Antenna'Publica2ons'
HF'Wire'Antenna'
•  Dipoles*
•  Polariza(on* –  Simple*
•  Impedance* –  Sloper*
•  Long*Wire* –  Inverted* V *
–  Fan*
•  Loop*
–  Trap*
•  Windom* –  Folded*
•  Ver(cal* •  G5RV*
•  Antenna*Tuners* •  Zepp*
–  End*fed*
–  Center*fed*
*
 Simple'HF'Wire'Antenna'
Typical'Amateur'Radio'''
We'will'explore'typical'
TransmiIng''Antenna'
varia2ons'of'the'wire'dipole'
high'frequency'(HF)'antenna'
 •  Electric'and'magne2c'waves'are'at'
Electromagne2c' right'angles'to'each'other'
Magne2c'wave'dissipates'within'a'
Wave'Polariza2on' • 
few'wavelengths'of'antenna'
•  Electric'wave'facilitates'
communica2ons'
•  Polariza2on'is'the'orienta2on'of'
the'electric'field'of'the'
electromagne2c'wave'
•  A'horizontally'orientated'antenna,'
such'as'a'dipole,'emits'a'
horizontally'polarized'electric'
wave'that'is'parallel'to'surface'of'
the'earth'(like'the'antenna)'
•  A'ver2cally'orientated'antenna,'
such'as'a'mobile'whip,'emits'a'
ver2cally'polarized'electric'wave'
that'is'perpendicular'to'the'
surface'of'the'earth'(like'the'
antenna)'
How*many*meters?*(or*feet?)*
RF*Signal*Polariza(on*
Antenna'Impedance'Z*=*e/i*
•  Voltage*and*impedance*
is*high*when*end*fed*

•  Voltage*and*impedance*
is*low*at*center*on*odd*
harmonics*

•  Voltage*and*impedance*
is*high*at*center*on*
even*harmonics*
 Random'Length'Long'Wire'Antenna'
•  Random*length*wire*–*usually*
one*wave*length*at*lowest*
frequency*
•  Requires*a* tuner *due*to*
wide*range*of**Z*
•  Unbalanced*(single*ended)*
feed*
•  Typically*employs*a* pi*
sec(on *tuner*
•  RF*in*the*shack*
•  Ground*wire*length*may*
figure*into*antenna*length*
Long'Wire'or'Half'Square'
 Horizontal'Loop'
• Need'not'be'a'square' • Balanced'load'
• Works'well'as'mul2Nband'antenna' • May'require'balun'
• Open'wire'or'coax'feed'line' • Will'require'an'antenna'tuner'
• Usually'cut'to'one'wavelength'at' • Polariza2on'same'as'plane'of'loop'
lowest'frequency'
Windom'Mul2Nband'Wire'Antenna'
•  Requires*a* tuner *due*
to*wide*range*of**Z*
•  Unbalanced*(single*
ended)*load*and*feed*
•  Typically*employs*a* pi*
sec(on,*T*sec(on*or*L*
sec(on *tuner*
•  RF*in*the*shack*similar*
to*long*wire*
 HalfNWavelength'Dipole'

•  Most'common'HF'antenna'in'amateur'radio'
•  Resonate'antenna'on'the'frequency'for'which'it'is'designed'
•  Lfeet'='468/f'in'MHz'
Ver2cal'Wire'Antenna'
•  Actually'a'ver2cally'orientated'
resonate'1/2'wave'dipole'with'
the'earth'being'the' return '
half'
•  Due'to'poor'ground'
conduc2vity'a'set'of'1/4'
wavelength'long'radials'may'be'
required'
•  Emits'a'low'angle'ver2cally'
polarized'electric'field'
•  Used'where'space'is'limited'and'
for'DX'which'requires'a'low'
angle'of'radiated'signal'for'
longest'signal'hop'
•  Perfect'ground'condi2ons'result'
in'a'36'ohm'radia2on'resistance'
for'a'1/4'wave'ver2cal'but'in'
prac2ce'it'will'be'30'to'100'
ohms'
Mul2band'Wire'Ver2cals'up'a'
Tree'
Inverted' L '
Antenna'
 Unbalanced'(single'ended)'
' L ,' Pi 'and' T 'Sec2on'Tuners'
•  Unbalanced'transmi^er'output'to'
unbalanced'feed'line'(coax)'and'
antenna'
•  Transforms'the'antenna'impedance'at'
the'feed'line'output'to'50'ohms'to'
match'the'transmi^er'50'ohm'output'
impedance'
•  The'capacitors'and'inductor'seIng'
must'be'varied'as'the'opera2ng'
frequency'and'resul2ng''antenna'
impedance''vary''
 HalfNWavelength'Dipole''

•  Resonate'antenna'on'the'frequency'for'which'it'is'designed'
•  Lfeet'='468/f'in'MHz'
•  Radia2on'resistance'of'72'ohms'when'elevated'at'0.25'wavelength'
•  Balanced'Load'
•  Horizontally'polarized'
•  Most'common'antenna'for'HF'
•  Invented'by'Heinrich'Hertz'about'1886'
 Center'fed'dipole'is'a'
simple,'effec2ve'antenna'
 Radia2on'Pa^ern'Varies'With'
Frequency'of'Opera2on'&'Height'
Impedance'Varies'with'Height'
Many'Other'Types'of'Dipoles'
 Inverted' V 'Dipole'
Rela2ve'to'Horizontal'
Dipole'
'
1.  Single'support'
2.  Slightly'less'gain'
3.  Slightly'less'direc2onality'
4.  Slightly'longer'for'freq.'
5.  Slightly'lower'feed'point'Z'
6.  SWR'varies'with'apex'angle'
Half'Wavelength'Sloper'Dipoles'
•  Favors*signals*off*the*
front*of*antenna*
•  No*gain*over*dipole*
•  Metal*support*acts*as*a*
parasi(c*element*and*
impacts*gain*and*
paXern*
Off'Center'Fed'Dipole'
 Mul2band'Dipoles'
Fan'Dipole'for'several'bands' Trap'Dipole'for'40/80'meters'
• Each'dipole'is'a'resonate' '
circuit'tuned'to'the'band'of' The'LC'circuit'presents'a'high'
interest.' impedance'at'40'meters'and'
• The'nonNresonate'dipoles' low'impedance'at'80'meters'
reject''unrelated'power'
 Using'Current'Chokes'
Transmi^er'current'travels'on'center'conductor'and'inside'of'the'shield'of'coNaxial'cable'feed'
line'–'shield'current'feeds'antenna'leg'and'outside'of'shield'–'RF'current'on'outside'of'shield'
radiates'like'a'ver2cal'antenna'and'also'travels'back'into'the'shack'–'current'choke'balun'at'

'
feed'point' chokes 'the'RF'current'on'outside'of'coNaxial'feed'line

'
Using'Z'Matching'and'Current'Baluns'
 Feed'lines'
•  Conducts'transmi^ed'power'
from'transmi^er'to'antenna'

•  Parallel'conductor'and'coaxial'
cable'

•  Air'insulated'conductors'have'
less'loss'per'foot'

•  As'signal'frequency'increases'the'
signal'loss'per'foot'increases'

30*
 Open'Wire'(Ladder'Line)'Feeders'
1.  Ladder*line*provides*a*balanced*
feed*to*a*balanced*load*(antenna)* Unbalanced'to'Balanced''
2.  Net*zero*feed*line*radia(on*
Antenna'Tuner'
3.  Allows*mul(band*opera(on*
4.  Tolerates*high*SWR*and*voltage*
5.  Very*low*transmission*line*loss*
6.  Requires*a* balanced*to*
unbalanced *tuner'
 '

Short'Resonate'Dipoles'
'

1.  En(re*length*of*dipole*does*
not*have*to*be*co`linear*

2.  Bent*ends*may*change*
resonate*frequency*slightly*

3.  Bent*ends*will*change*
radia(on*paXern*

4.  Use*of*open*wire*feeder*and*
tuner*may*allow*mul(`band*
opera(on*
Dipoles'vs.'Folded'Dipoles'
•  All*have*same*radia(on*paXern*
•  Dipole*Z*=*72*ohms*
•  Folded*Dipole*Z*=*300*ohms*
•  3*wire*Dipole*Z*=*450*to*600*
ohms*
•  Mul(`wire*dipoles*may*require*a*
balun*and*will*require*a*tuner*
•  Mul(`wire*dipoles*have*wider*
frequency*range*with*lower*SWR*
Clothesline'Folded'Dipole '
G5RV'Mul2band'Wire'Antenna'
•  3.5*to*28*MHz*
•  102*d.*center*fed*dipole*
with*34*d*open*wire*
feeders*
•  Open*wire*feeders*act*
as*a*matching*sec(on*
•  Requires*use*of*tuner*
with*balanced*output*
Zepp'(Zeppelin)'Wire'Antenna'
•  Mul(`band*antenna*
•  Use*length*for*lowest*
desired*frequency*
•  More*wire*–*more*gain*
•  May*require*a*balun*
•  Will*require*an*
antenna*tuner*
SWR' •  Note'that'as'the'transmi^ed'
signal'deviates'from'the'
antenna'design'frequency'the'
antenna'reactance'and'SWR'
increases'
•  Increasing'SWR'results'in'
increasing'losses'in'feed'line'
•  Modern'transceivers'will'
reduce'power'when'SWR'is'
greater'than'3'
•  SWR'='Emax'/'Emin'
•  The'forward'and'reverse'
power/voltage'can'be'
measured'using'a'direc2onal'
coupler'

37*
 HF'Wire'Antenna'
•  Dipoles*
•  Polariza(on* –  Simple*
•  Impedance* –  Sloper*
•  Long*Wire* –  Inverted* V *
•  Loop* –  Fan*
•  Windom* –  Trap*
–  Folded*
•  Ver(cal*
•  G5RV*
•  Antenna*Tuners* •  Zepp*
–  End*fed*
–  Center*fed*
*
ARRL'Wire'Antenna'Publica2ons'