By: KA5WNX
The Inverted W Antenna
An Experimenter's Dream
The inverted W, which is a little known antenna can be either be the experimenters dream, or. the radio operators nightmare.
Basically, the W antenna is two inverted V's. You see, the center conductor goes to one Inverted V, and the other goes to the outer braid conductor.
This particular antenna design came from what is known as a turnstile antenna or an acute angle inverted V. Instead of using a turnstile, it is now spread out to represent the inverted W.
The reason this antenna is not used very much as it takes up a great deal of real estate and without a 1:1 balun will sometimes on rare occasions need a Transmatch antenna tuner will be required.
This antenna, however, can produce up to 8 DB gain. This can rival a three element beam. It produces a broad figure 8 pattern, almost omnidirectional in nature.
Basically, the W antenna is two inverted V's. You see, the center conductor goes to one Inverted V, and the other goes to the outer braid conductor.
This particular antenna design came from what is known as a turnstile antenna or an acute angle inverted V. Instead of using a turnstile, it is now spread out to represent the inverted W.
The reason this antenna is not used very much as it takes up a great deal of real estate and without a 1:1 balun will sometimes on rare occasions need a Transmatch antenna tuner will be required.
This antenna, however, can produce up to 8 DB gain. This can rival a three element beam. It produces a broad figure 8 pattern, almost omnidirectional in nature.
An inverted W antenna Is made up of two inverted V's. Therefore, each leg making up the inverted V will be either 1/4 wave in total length per leg, or 3/4 wave in length in order to have proper resonance for the frequency you will be transmitting and receiving on.
Formula for 1/4 wavelength Legs: 234/frequency in MHz in order to create a 1/2 wave antenna.
Formula for 3/4 wavelength Legs: 702/frequency in MHz in order to create a 1-1/2 wave antenna (8 dbi gain).
Formula for 1/4 wavelength Legs: 234/frequency in MHz in order to create a 1/2 wave antenna.
Formula for 3/4 wavelength Legs: 702/frequency in MHz in order to create a 1-1/2 wave antenna (8 dbi gain).
Back in the days of CB Radio, I turn this antenna design on to a bunch of CB'ers, and boy, did they have fun with this design. One CB'er down around Waco Texas way had changed the design of the the three quarter wavelength to (5/4ths) a 1-1/4 wavelength of each leg length. That's when he had to use a Transmatch.
That's when I created a monster. He was able to talk about 60 miles or better on a regular basis on 3-1/2 watts and was the envy of everybody in the area using 5 and 6 element store bought beams.
So as you can see while it is a unique experimenter's design, it can become a operator's nightmare trying to build such a large antenna setup.
That's when I created a monster. He was able to talk about 60 miles or better on a regular basis on 3-1/2 watts and was the envy of everybody in the area using 5 and 6 element store bought beams.
So as you can see while it is a unique experimenter's design, it can become a operator's nightmare trying to build such a large antenna setup.
