Cloverleaf Antenna Calculator

A cloverleaf antenna calculator helps you build an antenna shaped like a three-leaf clover. It’s used for things like drone controllers or video signals because it sends and receives signals in all directions, like a spinning top.

With this calculator, you can type in the frequency you want, like the one for your drone’s video. It will tell you how to shape the cloverleaf and what size to make it. You don’t need to do hard math because the calculator figures it out. It’s like getting a recipe to make your antenna just right!

This tool is great for anyone working on drones or wireless video. For example, if you’re building a drone for a race, this calculator will help you design a cloverleaf antenna that works perfectly. It will also show you how to set it up to get a strong signal, like tuning a radio to a clear station.

Key Types and Features

There are a few notable implementations of such calculators, each tailored to specific needs:

1. 3G-Aerial Online Cloverleaf Antenna Calculator This is a web-based tool for analyzing the cloverleaf (also known as skew-planar wheel) antenna.
   • Purpose: To simulate and calculate performance metrics for designing the antenna, ensuring circular polarization (right-hand or left-hand, depending on leaf orientation) and optimal impedance matching. It’s based on electromagnetic simulation models from HFSS and 4NEC2 software.
   • How it works: Users input parameters like frequency (in MHz), number of “leaves” (typically 3 or 4), and measurement units. The tool then computes electrical and radiation characteristics.
   • Key inputs: Frequency, number of leaves, units.
   • Key outputs: Input impedance (ideally ~50 ohms), VSWR (voltage standing wave ratio), radiation patterns (vertical/horizontal planes), axial ratio (for polarization quality), and bandwidth. It also highlights the need for a balun (balancing circuit) to prevent pattern distortion and recommends precise construction, especially at the connection gap.