Posts

Showing posts with the label What is Antenna Gain?

What is Antenna Gain? Post #1600.

Image
If you can't see the video, please insert the title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVOo-miuIFQ. A good, basic introduction to antenna gain from Stan Gibilisco (W1GV).  Stan discusses the theory behind all of those "gain" figures cited in antenna advertisements and promotions for radio amateurs. Most of us radio amateurs are familiar with the standard Wikipedia definition of antenna gain "as the ratio of the power produced by the antenna from a far-field source on the antenna's beam axis to the power produced by a hypothetical lossless isotropic antenna, which equally sensitive to signals from all directions."  A nice, technically precise description suitable for exams and learned discussions of antenna patterns. But, in everyday terms, what does antenna gain mean?  Stan does a good job of illustrating antenna gain and directivity without resorting to complicated examples and higher level mathematics.  Of course, if