Radiation Pattern of square loop antenna

[Loren Moline WA7SKT]

Hello,

I have a horizontal square loop antenna designed for the low end of the 2 meter band. Does anyone have a radiation pattern of such an antenna and is it truly omni-directional or does it have some nulls. I have always wondered how much it affects the efficiency of an antenna when taking what would be a dipole and folding it into a loop. Thanks!

 
Loren   WA7SKT

Today's technology is responsible for creating a multitude of brain dead people!
 
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[Bill]

A loop of 1 wave length is generally omnidirectional. Longer lengths
will have nulls. The longer the length the more complex the pattern. If
you send the dimensions I can plug it into Eznec and get a pattern.
Bill KC7I

[ralph lindberg]

Digging back into through my brain, going to the college class I took on Antenna design, a half-wave loop is similar to a half-wave dipole, in that the pattern is slightly figure-8 shaped, although the difference between the peak and the null is just a few dB. The gain is something like -1 dBD, free-space.

I also have one (boy it must be 30 years old now), but I thought it worked very well, mobile.

One of the fun things about my career was the similarity between sonar array theory and radio antenna theory.

---

From: Loren Moline WA7SKT <lmo...@hotmail.com>
To: pnw...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Monday, April 9, 2012 11:11 PM
Subject: [PNWVHFS] Radiation Pattern of square loop antenna

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[Len]

Hi Loren and all.

I remember seeing some place a long time ago, that the square loop was
NOT totally all omni directional, but rather kinda squarish with just
slightly larger lobes at the corners. the slight dip along the sides
was down very little. Dont remember where I saw this.

I have built a bunch of square copper loops and they work very well.
Just have to remember that when you stack them they are all set up the
same, AND that a metal mast is used. Tried a PVC mast and they did not
play stacked well at all ((forty inches between loops)). Small wire
helped but not like a solid metal mast.

Have stacked as many as four loops on two meters ((all home brew half
inch copper with gamma feeds)), and they tune nicely and work well.
Pattern really does seems omni but I know there are a few small
irregularities.

Would not worry about them at all in my opinion.

Enjoy, take care, good weather has got to come soon !!

Len WA6KLK CM89hi