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Simple Data Antennas

This document describes how to build simple and effective 5/8th wave antennas for the 2.4 GHz, 3.4 GHz, and 5.8 GHz bands using inexpensive materials. Dimensions for the center radiator element and radial wires are provided for each band, along with instructions for bending the element into the correct final length. Performance data from a network analyzer shows good impedance matching and bandwidth for each antenna design.

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51 views

Simple Data Antennas

This document describes how to build simple and effective 5/8th wave antennas for the 2.4 GHz, 3.4 GHz, and 5.8 GHz bands using inexpensive materials. Dimensions for the center radiator element and radial wires are provided for each band, along with instructions for bending the element into the correct final length. Performance data from a network analyzer shows good impedance matching and bandwidth for each antenna design.

Uploaded by

szczypior
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Simple Antennas for Data Services

Kent Britian WA5VJB

Here are some easy to build 5/8ths antennas for the 2.4 GHz, 3.4 GHz, and 5.8 GHz
bands. These can be used with WiFi, 802.11, Zigbee, ATV, Bluetooth, and any other
services on these bands.

There are some on-line calculators for these and similar antennas. One particular website
calculated the dimensions to the nearest 0.000000001 inch. Yep, there are 8 zeros in
there, someone needs to slap that lad up side of the head with a slide rule and take away
his scientific calculator. And the worse part is, his dimensions were WRONG.

As Dr. Tom Clark, K3IO likes to put it, “Why be approximately correct when you can be
precisely wrong?” Several factors that affect the length of the elements such as the
diameter of the wire were not even allowed for. All these designs were actually
construction and adjusted on an 8719 Network Analyzer. I much prefer to publish tested
dimensions, and actual, rather than theoretical dimensions.

First some overview of the 5/8ths wave antenna. You can match to a good SWR virtually
any length of wire, that’s why we often use antenna tuners on the Shortwave bands. You
can build a 5.8 GHz antenna tuner, but you had better find a BIG magnifying glass for that
weekend project. ¼ wave and ¾ wavelengths are pretty easy to tune in a 50 Ohm
system. But while a ¾ wavelength has a good impedance match, or SWR, it has a poor
pattern. Much of the signal ends up going into upward lobes, not towards the horizon
where you usually want the signal.
But if you bend up a 3/4ths length of wire until it is 5/8ths wave long, we get a very nice
pattern back at the horizon as also shown above. The loop, or partial loop in the center
element is not a loading coil like you might see on many HF antennas. In this case it is a
delay line. It is instead a way of delaying the wave so that it is seeing ¾ ths wavelength in
a 5/8 wavelength space. This delay line can be a loop, part of a loop, a stub, or a zig-zag.

Construction: Start with a piece of coax and some 18 Gauge wire. Most any coax can be
used, braided or simi-rigid as long as you can solder to it. The wire can be 16 or 20
gauge, but I wouldn’t got beyond those sizes and stay with 18 gauge if you can.
Element Length

Final Length
Radial Length

Figure 1

Using Figure 1, cut your center element to length. Now bend it around a small
screwdriver, drill bit, etc until the total length is correct per chart 1. Now solder the element
to the center of the coax.
Next cut your radial per Chart 1 and solder the middle of the wire to the coax at the end of
the shield or braid. In effect we are using one wire as two radials. Now bend them back
about 30 degrees. This doesn’t have to be precisely 30 deg, but it does help the
impedance match or SWR to bend them back a bit. That’s it, your 5/8ths ground plane is
ready to go like the ones in Photo 2.
Scaling: Lets say you need a test antenna for 4.9 GHz, just take the 5.8 GHz dimensions
and multiple the lengths by 5.8/4.9 or 1.18. Or perhaps you wish to build a 1.8 GHz
version, then take the 2.4 GHz dimensions and multiply by 2.4/1.8 or 1.33
This scaling is OK for small changes, if you wish to make big jump in frequency, then you
need to scale the diameter of the 18 gauge wire as well.

Chart 1
Band Radiator Radials Final Length

2.4 GHz 3.5“ 2.4” 3.25”

3.4 GHz 2.5” 1.8” 2.3”

5.8 GHz 1.45” 1.0” 1.25”

Performance

2400 MHz Plot

Here is the Network analyzer plot of the 2.4 GHz antenna.


The antenna has a better than -15 dB return loss over the entire 2.4 GHz band.
This works out to a better than 1.5 to 1 SWR over the entire 2.4 GHz band and a 1.05
SWR in the middle of the band.
3400 MHz Plot
Next is the Network Analyzer plot of the 3.4 GHz antenna. Not a lot of WiFi type activity
on 3.4 GHz, but it is growing quickly. The antenna has a -10 dB return loss from 3.3 to 3.5
GHz. Or a 2 to 1 SWR over the band.

5800 MHz
Now for the 5.8 GHz Network Analyzer plot. This antenna has a better than 2 to 1 SWR
from 5.5 to 6.1 GHz with a SWR of 1.05 at 5.8 GHz. More than enough bandwidth to
cover the WiFi part of the band.
The antennas work just a well hanging upside down as they do pointing upwards.
This means you can just build one on the end of a length of coax and hang it from the
ceiling or off a shelf. And don’t be disappointed at only 3 ½ dBi of gain. As I have
mentioned before, several years ago I sent up the antenna range for 2.4 GHz and invited
over the local computer WiFi club. It was amazing how many of the “+7 dBi” gain
computer antennas measured less than 0 dBi. I have never seen one of those small
computer WiFi antennas come even close to their published gains. So while the numbers
are not impressive, the little guys probably work better than the high dollar antennas at the
computer store.

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