Towertalk
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [TowerTalk] Yagi gain question

To: "Stone, Gary R." <Gary.Stone@med.va.gov>,towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Yagi gain question
From: Jim Lux <jimlux@earthlink.net>
Date: Fri, 23 Dec 2005 10:17:21 -0800
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
At 07:22 AM 12/23/2005, Stone, Gary R. wrote:
>Hi to all,
>
>
>
>First, I hope you all have a wonderful Holiday and Merry Christmas.  Thanks
>for the help on this reflector this past year.
>
>
>
>I am now trying to sort out in my head a simple way to get a rough idea
>about some gain calculations on a Yagi antenna.
>
>For example, if a Yagi has a gain of x db or x dbi (whichever) and is
>running a certain power then at what power level would you need with a
>vertical or dipole to roughly equal the Yagi?  Is there a simple way to get
>a ROUGH idea and not a scientific solution?


dBi is dB relative to an isotropic antenna (one that radiates in all 
directions equally, a fiction that cannot be achieved in real life, but a 
convenient standard).

So, if you have an antenna with a gain of x dBi in a particular direction, 
the power at the receiver will be x dB greater than they would get with an 
isotrope.  That is, 10^(dB/10).. Example: To a receiver, it would look the 
same if the transmitter were a 100 Watts into a 6dBi antenna (pointed to 
the receiver) OR a 400 Watt transmitter into an isotropic antenna.

Dipoles have a gain of 2.15dBi (theoretical... just call it 2 and be done 
with it), so that same 6 dBi antenna would be 4dB better than a dipole. 4 
dB is factor of 2.5, so 100W into the 6dBi antenna is like 250W into the 
dipole.

Gain helps in the amateur world because we're power limited.  So, someone 
with a 12 dBi antenna can radiate a signal 10 times stronger than someone 
with a dipole, if both of them are running the full 1.5kW.  Or, the guy 
with the gain antenna can run just 150W into his 12dBi antenna and have the 
same signal as the guy with the dipole running legal limit.  You can spend 
your money on antenna gain or amplifier power, and from the transmit 
standpoint, it doesn't make much difference (until you hit max legal power).




>
>
>Thanks,  Gary, N5PHT
>
>
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>
>See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless 
>Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with 
>any questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
>
>_______________________________________________
>TowerTalk mailing list
>TowerTalk@contesting.com
>http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk

_______________________________________________

See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless Weather 
Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any questions 
and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.

_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>