The Beginner’s Guide to How an Antenna Works

 

The antenna is one of the most important tools that simplify communication in our daily life. We can send and receive messages by using a powerful antenna. It is also used in TV broadcasting and radio stations. Apart from that, the antenna also helps us to talk on telephones and mobile phones.

Many of us do not have a clear idea of what an antenna is. In this blog, we will discuss the full guide on how an antenna works with its types and benefits.

How does an antenna work?

Before we discuss the working process of a UHF Antenna or any other kind of antenna, we need to understand the basics of an antenna. Apart from that, we must also understand how radio waves travel and make communication better on telephones and mobile phones. Here is the list of some basic concepts that you can relate to antennal:

·      Receivers and Transmitters

Radio communication improves with the use of transmitters and receivers. A transmitter sends the signals to the receiver. A receiver takes the signals and presents a message in a proper form.

Both transmitters and receivers include various parts including an antenna. A receiver is an antenna that helps to receive car radio or satellite Television. Different antennas have different shapes and sizes. The size and shape of an antenna depend on the purpose of the sender and the distance that the signals have to travel.

·      Process of transmission

Transmission is an important part of the antenna that you must understand. Transmitters can send signals only when the antenna sends an electrical current. This current generates a magnetic field that helps in the transmission of signals. The antenna sends signals according to its frequency or amplitude modulation.

Frequency modulation and amplitude modulation are common ways by which data is packed in radio waves. They are common ways in any VHF antenna to pack information.

Signals are modulated to contain mono audio information, text information; pilot tone, and AM-suppressed carrier information.

·      Process of reception

Modulated signals are sent by air and the antenna receives these signals. Carrier signals are those signals that contain information. These signals are modulated and sent through the air with certain information.

These carrier signals need to be demodulated while sending them to the receiver. In other term, the signal is decreased to the pertinent information before sending it to the receiver. Finally, this information is transferred to any audio system or speaker system. These signals will be digitized when they are sent to video or other media devices.

How do waves travel?

Radio waves can travel in several waves via air. Some radio waves travel straight from the transmitter to the receiver. This process is known as the “line of sight”. Those waves that travel to transmit phone calls work in the line of sight trend.

This trend was removed during the 1960s when fiber-optic cables were used to transmit phone calls. These phone calls encode data into a beam of light that is sent via a glass pipe.

Ground wave signals utilize the space between the earth and the earth’s ionosphere to carry out transmissions. These waves can travel a long distance when you use them at a low frequency. Many signals depend on ground wave transmission because many waves experience interruption from the light’s effect on the D section of the ionosphere.

How does Ionosphere affect the working of signals?

The ionosphere is the layer of the earth that is electrically charged. It affects the working of radio signals to a large extent. This layer contains many free electrons that help to send and receive messages all over the world. The ionosphere method was widely used all over the globe before the invention of satellites. It was also used for broadcasting before the invention of satellites.

Different kinds of Antennas and their features

Antennas come in different types with different features. Every antenna is used for a specific purpose. Here is the list of different kinds of antennas with features:

1. Log periodic antennas

The first kind of antenna is a log periodic Dipole Antenna. It includes antennas such as military log periodic Dipole Antenna, Bow tie antennas, and log-periodic antennas. These antennas are widely used to transmit signals in broadcasting stations. It is a type of directional antenna developed to work over several frequencies.

2. Wire Antennas

Some of the most popular wire antennas include Dipole Antenna, a loop antenna, a short dipole antenna, and a monopole antenna. It also includes a military coaxial Dipole Antenna. Wire antennas such as high gain Dipole Antenna are a very common kind of wire antenna used in aircraft, ships, vehicles, and buildings.

Wire antennas come in different sizes and shapes. Military Dipole Antenna is used in many vehicles.

3. Aperture Antennas

The next kind of antenna is an Aperture antenna. These antennas are further divided into Slot antennas and horn antennas. These types of antennas come with an opening in the surface to emit various radio waves.

4. Microstrip antennas

Microstrip antennas include a rectangular microstrip patch antenna and a Quarter-wave patch antenna. These antennas are widely used in space crafts, radars, wireless communication systems, and missiles.

5. Travelling wave antennas  

Marine Dual Band Yagi Antenna is a kind of traveling wave antenna. Apart from that, the traveling wave antennas also include helical wire antennas, long wire antennae, and spiral antennae. They are used in radio and telecommunication structures.

6. Array Antennas 

The next kind of antenna is the Array antenna. It is further divided into linear array antenna, phased array antenna, and two-element array antenna.

Final words

This is a perfect beginner’s guide on the working of antennae and types of antennas. You can find the best antenna manufacturer from the official site or Google search engine.

This guide will help you to understand the working of the antenna. It will also give you an idea of different kinds of antennas and their uses. The working of the antenna is important to find its basic structure and other details.