4 July 2022 – Radio waves and antennas…and all that by Peter Duffett-Smith, GM3XJE

| June 4, 2022

Peter’s presentation

This presentation covers a range of antenna-related information so there should be something for everyone:

What makes a radio wave? Some mysterious properties of radio waves which you might not have appreciated. How do you launch radio waves? Antennas. Radiation resistance. Radiation patterns. Antenna gain. Transmitting and receiving. Getting power into, and from, your antenna. Resonance, or lack thereof. Feeders. Feeder impedance. Matching—does VSWR really matter? Why can’t you make a monopole? Multi-element antennas. Phased antennas.

About Peter

Peter says: “I acquired the very old, large but defunct, family radio when I was eight, and found that I could give myself an electric shock when I disconnected a nine-volt battery from across the mains plug. From then on I was hooked.

“My grandfather taught me the basics, I gained my class A radio amateur licence aged 17, completed a PhD at Cambridge, and joined the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory at the Cavendish Laboratory under Nobel prize winners Professors Martin Ryle and Antony Hewish.

“I spent my happy working life tinkering with antennas and teaching physics to undergraduates until retirement in 2013. I now live in Scotland, continuing to tinker with antennas and delving into other interesting radio projects.

“I am the Editor of RadCom Plus, and sit on the RSGB Propagation Studies Committee.”

Find out more

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