Antenna testing equipment

[Pro-95]

Ok I have been told that there is no easy/cheap way to test antenna designs and construction.

But I really am interested in this aspect of radios.

So what options are out there? What kind of bucks are we talking?

Yes, I realize that you must inject some power into the antenna to get feedback on the design. So what equipment is needed for this.

TIA!

 

[INDY72]

Here is a basic list of what you need......
A good reciever...
If this is a transmitting system a good dependable transmitter.
Signal meters.
For testing reception youll start out with no ant at all and the way the reciever reacts...
Then start using the signal meters to test the reception on various freqs .. make sure you know how to judge the reception to noise ratio....
If this is a mobile ant.. youll need to test the signal at various locations in your range of reception. If its a non mobile install... test at various hieghts,.. and positions...
Once you can get at least a 80 to 100 percent recieve rate on what your trying to hear.. then you know you got a good system. I know this much from CB and from helping to test a UHF system for the Security Company I worked for a few years back. nmfire , or Joe M will give you the deep technical info youll need such as SINBAD etc,,....

 

[loumaag]

Mike, I am sure that you will get all kinds of advice on this, so let me start out the flow. One of the best purchases I ever made for working with antennas was the my MFJ 259B Antenna Analyzer. Now it is out in a model 269 which covers UHF. However, neither of these will help you with the 800MHz stuff (at least at the antenna end.) Take a look, they ain't cheap, but they come in might handy. :wink:

 

[JohnWayne]

Well, I don't know how deep your pockets are, but probably the best tool is a network analyzer. You can sweep the antenna/feedline and get all the vital stats like return loss, SWR, impedance, etc. You can make the cool SWR graphs that you see in all the antenna manufacturers' catalogs, too.

Expect to pay $500ish for a basic used unit that will do HF/VHF frequencies. After that, the sky is the limit. You can get a nice used one for about $2k probably. HP and Anritsu are the biggest manufactures, but there are others like Wiltron who are good as well.

Of course, you can get by with other tools. The MFJ jobs are OK if you don't need real accurate readings. Another handy tool (that you could build yourself) is the dip meter. It will let you find the resonant frequencies of L-C circuits. RF millivolt meters, vector voltmeters, signal generators, etc can all be helpful at some point or another as well. Of course by the time you get all those you might as well have gotten the network analyzer.

I would start with a good multimeter, and a power meter that will measure reflected power or give you a direct SWR reading. This will allow you read return loss and see if your design is basically working.

Antenna design can be a lot of fun, and I wish you luck on your journey. Let me know if you have any questions.

Jeff