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A Yagi antenna calculator helps you build a special antenna that’s great for picking up radio signals from far away. A Yagi antenna looks like a row of metal rods, with one main rod and smaller ones around it. It’s used for things like TV signals, ham radios, or even Wi-Fi boosters because it can focus on signals from one direction.
With this calculator, you can type in the frequency you want to use, like the channel for your TV or radio. It will tell you how long to make each rod and where to put them. You don’t need to do hard math because the calculator figures it out for you. It’s like getting a map to build your antenna the right way!
This tool is perfect for anyone who loves radios or wants to make their TV signal stronger. For example, if you live far from a TV station, this calculator will help you design a Yagi antenna to get a clear picture. It will also show you how to point the antenna to catch the best signal, like aiming a flashlight to light up a spot.
A Yagi Antenna Calculator is a tool designed to simplify the process of calculating the dimensions and spacing of elements for a Yagi-Uda antenna, a directional antenna commonly used in radio communication, amateur radio, television reception, and telemetry. The calculator determines the lengths of the antenna’s key components—reflector, driven element (dipole), and director(s)—as well as the spacing between them, based on the desired operating frequency.
How It Works
- Input: You provide the operating frequency (in MHz) and, in some calculators, the number of elements (typically 3 to 11 or more). Some calculators also allow inputs like boom material (conductive or non-conductive) or element diameter.
- Output: The calculator provides:
- Reflector Length: Typically ~5% longer than half the wavelength to reflect signals toward the driven element.
- Driven Element (Dipole) Length: Approximately half the wavelength for resonance at the specified frequency.
- Director Length: About 5-10% shorter than the driven element to focus the signal forward.
- Element Spacing: Usually 0.1λ to 0.25λ (where λ is the wavelength) between elements, optimized for gain, bandwidth, and directivity.
- Some calculators also estimate gain or front-to-back ratio.
Key Formulas
The calculations are based on the wavelength (λ), derived from the speed of light (c = 299,792,458 m/s) and the operating frequency (f):
- Wavelength (λ): λ = c / f (in meters)
- Reflector Length: ~0.495λ to 0.5λ
- Driven Element Length: ~0.47λ to 0.48λ
- Director Length: ~0.44λ to 0.45λ
- Spacing: ~0.1λ to 0.25λ, depending on design goals (e.g., gain vs. bandwidth).
For example, at 200 MHz:
- Wavelength (λ) = 300 / 200 = 1.5 meters
- Reflector Length ≈ 0.7425 meters
- Dipole Length ≈ 0.7095 meters
- Director Length ≈ 0.66 meters
- Spacing ≈ 0.1875 meters (for reflector-to-dipole and dipole-to-director).