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FIGURE7

FIGURE6
Sleevedipolewithadditionaldecouplingsleeve

Enddrivenhalfwavedipolewithquarterwavedecoupling
sleeve

Achievingomnidirectionalgain
Themostpracticalwaytoobtainomnidirectionalgaininaverticalantennasystemistostackanumberof
separateantennastoformaverticallyorientedcolineararray.Itisrelativelyeasytoobtain3dBof
onmidirectionalgainwithrespecttoaverticalhalfwavedipole.Highergainsrequiremuchmorecomplex
structures,multiplefeedpoints,powerdividers,phasingsections,impedancematchingnetworks,etc.While
3dBofomnidirectionalgaincanbeobtainedinantennascostinglittlemorethansimpledecoupledhalf
wavewhips,highergainantennasaregenerallymuchmoreexpensive.
Oneofthemostpopularwaystoobtain3dBofomnidirectionalgainoveraverticalhalfwavedipoleisto
employacenterdrivendipolewhosetotallengthis11/4wavelengths,thatis,5/8wavelengthoneachleg.
Thepropertiesofsuchadipolehavebeenknownformanyyears.Whenorientedverticallyandwell
decoupledfromthecoaxialfeedcable,thisantennaproducesalmostexactly3dBofomnidirectionalgain
withrespecttoahalfwavedipole,yetrequiresbutonefeedpoint.The11/4wavelength(or"twin5/8")
designproducesthemaximumpossiblegainforasingledipole.Iftheantennaiseithershorterorlonger,
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thegaindropsoff.
Figure8showshowthisdipolecanbeemployedinavertical
orientation.Noticethatthecoaxiallineisbroughtuptothe
centerofthedipole,wherethecenterconductorexcitesthe
upper5/8wavelengthelement.Thelower5/8elementconsists
oftheoutsideoftheouterconductor,downforadistanceof3/8
wavelengthfromthefeedpoint,andthentheoutsideofa1/4
wavelengthdecouplingsleeve,The"spillover"current,which
mustbeequaltothecurrentatthebaseoftheupperelement,
constitutesthecurrententeringthelowerelementofthedipole.
Thelower5/8elementterminatesattheopenendofaresonant
quarterwavelengthsleeve.Testshaveshownthepresenceofa
smallamountofspillovercurrentbelowthissleeve.
Accordingly,asecondresonantsleeveisnecessarytoproducea
highdegreeofdecoupling.Thecurrentdistributionalongthe
antennaissketchedinFigure8.Notethestandingwave
distribution,andthefactthattheupperandlowercurrent"loops"
areinphasewitheachother.Thisisthedesiredactionwhich
producesthegain.Notealsothatthereisaphasereversalofthe
currentsnearthefeedpoint.Theeffectproducessmall"side
lobes"athighandlowanglesacharacteristicofmostgaintype
antennaarrays.
ThedecouplingsleevesarefilledwithStyrofoamcoreswitha
centralholetoaccommodatethecoaxialline.AnLCnetworkis
usedatthefeedpointtomatchtheantennaimpedanceto50
ohms.Theentireantennaisfittedsnuglyinsideastiff,tapered
fiberglasstube,andweathersealed.

Gain
Thestatedgainofanantennamustuseareferencetohaveany
meaning.Commercialantennamanufacturersuseafreespace
halfwavedipoleasthegainreferenceandthegainwillbe
shownwiththesubscript"d"(fordipole).Sothenumber3dBd
indicates3dBmorepowerinthedirectionofmaximum
radiationthanadipole.

FIGURE8
Centerdriventwin5/8dipolewithtwin
decouplingsleeves

Anothercommonreferenceisgainoverthemythicalisotropicradiator.Thisisanonexisting,but
mathematicallyconvenientantennathatradiateswiththesamepowerintensityinalldirections.Thegainof
ahalfwavedipoleis2.15dBiandour3dBdantennais5.15dBi.Inordertomakethegainnumberslarger,
somemanufacturersusegainnumbersthatcouldtheoreticallybeachievediftheantennawereplacedovera
perfect,infinitelylargegroundplanesothatallthepowerdeliveredtotheantennawouldbeabovethe
groundplane.Thistheoreticallywoulddoublethepowerabovethegroundplaneandaddanother3dB.Our
dipolecouldhavean"advertisedgain"of5.15dBandour3dBdantennacouldbeadvertisedtohaveagain
of8.15dB.Notethatthereisnoreferenceinthesenumbers.Theprospectiveantennapurchasershould
insistonthegainreference.
Verticalbasestationantennasshouldhavetheirdirectionofmaximumradiationonthehorizon.Some
commercialantennasintendedforamateurusecannotcontroltheirpatternandmaybeseveraldBdownon
thehorizon.Gainis,unfortunately,measuredinthedirectionofmaximumradiationnotonthehorizon.
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Twoantennaswith3dBdofgainmaybemilesapartinperformanceduetotheirdifferinganglesof
maximumradiation.
Anantennawhosemaximumradiationisatzerodegreeselevation(liketheIsoPole)isanimportant
consideration.

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