[TowerTalk] Reflectors and directors
Dave Hachadorian
k6ll@juno.com
Fri, 2 Feb 2001 11:08:56 -0700
Every now and then, a real gem appears on this reflector. Tom's
posting is one of those. Tom, it looks as though you were going
to continue with additional points at the end. Why don't you
finish it off? Thanks!
Dave Hachadorian, K6LL
Yuma, AZ
K6LL@juno.com
On Fri, 2 Feb 2001 05:32:39 -0500 "Tom Rauch" <w8ji@contesting.com>
writes:
> > At 08:46 AM 2/1/01 -0800, you wrote:
> > snip.
> >
> > >
> > >
> > >I have long wondered why the reflector on a yagi is longer than
> the
> > >driven element and why the directors are shorter. Also why do
> > >multiple directors increase the gain but multiple reflectors do
> not?
> >
> >
> > This is incorrect when speaking of multi (high density) elements
> > or optimum elements per array wavelength.
> >
> > When you have multiple directors then multiple reflectors
> > DO assist the gain as well as INCREASE the front to rear/back
> > ..... especially when TOTAL BAND SPREAD is considered.
>
> Multiple reflectors ONLY noticeably increase gain or F/B when they
> are offset from the main axis of the array, or when the original
> element is NOT optimized.
>
> As a side note reflector does not reflect, and a director does not
> direct. Both re-radiate signals, just as if they are fed with a
> feedline. They ALL increase gain, or change F/B, by their re-
> radiation cancelling signals in unwanted directions.
>
> If they do not re-radiate an appreciable amount of energy compared
> to the energy in the direction you are trying to null out, they do
> not
> help remove unwanted energy from needless directions.
>
> If they do not reradiate a substantial amount of energy compared to
> the overall energy radiated by the array, they can not greatly
> change gain.
>
> They are all like dipoles, excited by the fields impinging on them.
>
> A "reflector" causes a null away from the exciting source because
> it is self-resonant or nearly self-resonant at the operating
> frequency. When a system is totally non-resonant (like a very large
> antenna above a small one would appear, or the ground below the
> antenna) or when it is exactly self-resonant or has lagging phase in
>
> the re-radiation, it nulls the signal away from the exciting source.
>
> It does this because reradiation is 180 degrees out-of-phase with
> the source when the structure or element being excited is exactly
> resonant or virtually non-resonant. Think of what happens when an
> additional element excites the reflector. The signal "arrives" and
> causes a current flow in the element that is 180 degrees (if it is
> self-
> resonant or very large and non-resonant) out-of-phase with the
> exciting signal.
>
> Looking at the case of a signal from a driven element .25 wl away,
> the signal is delayed 90 degrees in space. It is inverted 180
> degrees in the element. Energy is reradiated with a 270 degree
> phase delay from the driven element. 270 degree lag is the same
> as a 90 degree lead, so you have the equal of a two element driven
> array with 90 degree lag in the driven element. Since phased arrays
> with close spacing null in the direction of leading phase, the
> energy leaving the array to the rear is cancelled.
>
> Since the energy has nowhere to go but the other directions, it
> goes that way. The array fires, like any two element close spaced
> array, towards the lagging phase element...the driven element.
>
> Once you have a reflector that is properly tuned to null in the
> plane
> of the reflector, or if you had a series of directors tuned to
> provide a
> perfect null in the direction of the reflector, so much energy is
> removed there is little current in the reflector. It does nothing,
> or
> next to nothing to overall pattern.
>
> Directors, because they are significantly shorter than a 1/2 wl,
> have
> a positive phase shift. They look capacitive, and so have leading
> phase in the currents. The phase lead internally added by the
> element is up to 90 degrees for a very short element, but
> unfortunately current diminishes rapidly as the element is moved
> from resonance by being made shorter.
>
> In this case the spatial phase delay is offset by the leading phase
> in the element's internal currents. The effective phase- shift with
> a
> short director spaced 90 degrees from the exciting source
> normalized to that source is somewhat less than -90+ 90 + -180,
> or less than -180 degrees. The radiation leaving that element
> follows the rule-of-thumb given in the reflector example above, and
> cancels the most signal in a direction towards element(s) having a
> leading phase. The radiation that would have gone that direction
> has nowhere to go except in directions where it is not canceled,
> and so now it fires in the direction of lagging element phase.
>
> This is towards the direction of the director.
>
> So you see, it is easy as pie and quite simple. Reflectors do not
> reflect, and directors do not direct. They both re-radiate and that
> re-
> radiation removes energy from some directions. Since nothing
> much is dissipated as heat, the energy has to go in the direction
> where it is LEAST cancelled.
>
> This is also why sharp pattern antennas of a given physical
> construction, especially small ones with close spacing, have higher
> element currents than broad pattern antennas. The array "fights
> itself" in every direction, and so current has to increase
> substantially in order to radiate the same power!
>
> Remember behind all of this, it is the charge acceleration in the
> elements that makes things happen. If we impede radiation in
> many directions we have to see an element current increase (more
> charges accelerating) to get rid of all that energy from the
> transmitter in the narrow direction where radiation can still occur.
>
> The antenna, in effect, fights itself.
>
> Obviously if we add an element in a direction where there is little
> or
> no energy, it can have little or no effect on the system. Nothing
> amazing here at all.
>
>
>
>
>
> If you make a mistake with a reflector it is best to err long
> because the inductive reactance causes
>
>
>
> The reason a reflector
>
>
>
>
> >
> > Reflectors in such cases are NOT always longer than the driven
> element
> > ( must not exceed 3 in number ,total 13 elements max per
> wavelength of
> > array) ......because the self impedance of an element is of more
> > importance than
> > physical length
> >
> > Seems like this should be a subject other than 'shadowing'
> >
> > Art Unwin
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > I suspect it has something
> > >to do with the geometry and transit time but its only my WAG.
> > >Hopefully "several technically will-versed people" will enlighten
> us!
> > >
> > >k7puc
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >--
> > >FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/towertalk
> > >Submissions: towertalk@contesting.com Administrative
> > >requests: towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com Problems:
>
> > >owner-towertalk@contesting.com
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > --
> > FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/towertalk
> > Submissions: towertalk@contesting.com Administrative
> > requests: towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com Problems:
>
> > owner-towertalk@contesting.com
> >
>
>
> 73, Tom W8JI
> w8ji@contesting.com
>
> --
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> Submissions: towertalk@contesting.com
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> Problems: owner-towertalk@contesting.com
>
--
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