[RFI] Flag Antenna Question

Dave (NK7Z) dave at nk7z.net
Wed Feb 1 20:23:35 EST 2023


Thanks Don!!  I will read up on that...  I am thinking the flag will 
work better as it does not have lobes in two directions, like the 
loop...  That way, I can null my RFI source better.  I have only one 
right now...  That will of course change...  In any case, thank for the 
direction, something new to read!! :)

73, and thanks,
Dave (NK7Z)
https://www.nk7z.net
ARRL Volunteer Examiner
ARRL Technical Specialist, RFI
ARRL Asst. Director, NW Division, Technical Resources

On 2/1/23 16:20, Don Kirk wrote:
> Hi Dave,
> 
> You won’t yield half the noise, and it’s a complicated topic but I 
> suggest you read up on what’s called RDF (receiving directivity Factor) 
> and this was a concept that I believe W8JI first introduced.  RDF gives 
> an approximation on the signal to noise merits of receive antennas but 
> that’s based on noise arriving equally from all directions which is 
> often not the case.  I’m not sure what the RFF value is for a 
> bidirectional loop but the RDF for pennants and flags is approximately 
> 7.8.  Often you will be dealing with local noise arriving from one 
> direction and if that’s the case then a pennant or flag is best for 
> rejection of noise arriving 180 degrees from the direction of your 
> desired signal whereas your loop has a deep null off the side so its 
> best for rejecting noise arriving 90 degrees to the direction of the 
> signal of interest.
> 
> Don wd8dsb
> 
> On Wed, Feb 1, 2023 at 6:04 PM Dave (NK7Z) <dave at nk7z.net 
> <mailto:dave at nk7z.net>> wrote:
> 
>     Cool...  I am thinking of comparing it to a Mag loop.  I am setting
>     up a
>     RX only antenna for my K4, and suspect the cardioid pattern will do far
>     better than the pattern from a mag loop.  Half the noise...  :)
> 
>     73, and thanks,
>     Dave (NK7Z)
>     https://www.nk7z.net <https://www.nk7z.net>
>     ARRL Volunteer Examiner
>     ARRL Technical Specialist, RFI
>     ARRL Asst. Director, NW Division, Technical Resources
> 
>     On 2/1/23 13:39, Don Kirk wrote:
>      > Hi Dave,
>      >
>      > I have not but I believe it should work (especially since a diamond
>      > works).  You can look at other configurations that are known to
>     work by
>      > reading the original article about Pennant and Flag receive
>     antennas by
>      > Earl K6SE (SK) in the July 2000 issue of QST.  I designed my
>     portable DF
>      > antenna as a rectangle because I wanted the most gain possible that
>      > would still fit easily in my car.
>      >
>      > 73,
>      > Don (wd8dsb)
>      >
>      > On Wed, Feb 1, 2023 at 3:50 PM Dave (NK7Z) <dave at nk7z.net
>     <mailto:dave at nk7z.net>
>      > <mailto:dave at nk7z.net <mailto:dave at nk7z.net>>> wrote:
>      >
>      >     Don,
>      >     Have you tried your design with a loop as opposed to the
>     rectangle?
>      >
>      >     73, and thanks,
>      >     Dave (NK7Z)
>      > https://www.nk7z.net <https://www.nk7z.net> <https://www.nk7z.net
>     <https://www.nk7z.net>>
>      >     ARRL Volunteer Examiner
>      >     ARRL Technical Specialist, RFI
>      >     ARRL Asst. Director, NW Division, Technical Resources
>      >
>      >     On 2/1/23 12:09, Don Kirk wrote:
>      >      > Hi Bob,
>      >      >
>      >      > Dave (W0LEV) provided you good insight.  Normally I say
>     just stay
>      >     away from
>      >      > wire wound resistors as we know they are definitely inductive,
>      >     and carbon
>      >      > resistors are just fine.
>      >      >
>      >      > Any value of termination resistor between 680 ohms and 820
>     ohms will
>      >      > provide good results for use on my portable flag.  There
>     are just
>      >     slight
>      >      > trade offs between how a 680 and 820 resistor perform and
>     you can
>      >     see front
>      >      > to back ratio versus elevation plots showing how the 680 ohm
>      >     resistor and
>      >      > 820 ohm resistor model.  I actually have two identical
>     portable
>      >     flags, one
>      >      > with a 680 ohm termination resistor and one with a 820 ohm
>      >     termination
>      >      > resistor and you would be hard pressed telling the difference
>      >     unless I told
>      >      > you what to look for in performance.  You can see the
>     plots on my
>      >     portable
>      >      > flag website at
>      > https://sites.google.com/site/portableflagantenna/
>     <https://sites.google.com/site/portableflagantenna/>
>      >     <https://sites.google.com/site/portableflagantenna/
>     <https://sites.google.com/site/portableflagantenna/>>
>      >      >
>      >      > 73,
>      >      > Don wd8dsb
>      >      >
>      >      > On Wed, Feb 1, 2023 at 2:26 PM Bob Kozlarek WA2SQQ
>      >     <wa2sqq at gmail.com <mailto:wa2sqq at gmail.com>
>     <mailto:wa2sqq at gmail.com <mailto:wa2sqq at gmail.com>>> wrote:
>      >      >
>      >      >> I started putting together one of your portable flag
>     antennas.
>      >     Regarding
>      >      >> the resistor that is used by notice it’s called out as a
>      >     non-inductive
>      >      >> resistor. Is this something special or with a standard carbon
>      >     comp or
>      >      >> carbon film resistor work? If this is something that is super
>      >     critical I’m
>      >      >> thinking that I could put two or more larger values in
>     parallel
>      >     to arrive
>      >      >> to desire value.--
>      >      >>
>      >      >>
>      >      >>
>      >      >> *Best 73 de WA2SQQElmwood Park, NJ"The only dumb
>     questions are
>      >     those we
>      >      >> don't ask"*
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