October 2011 | Technical Report TR-12-483
A Prototype Antenna for Total RF Field Measurement
Cite This Publication
J. Wayde Allen, “A Prototype Antenna for Total RF Field Measurement,” Technical Report TR-12-483, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Institute for Telecommunication Sciences, October 2011.
J. Wayde Allen
Abstract: The total radio frequency (RF) field strength is the sum of all signals incident at a given location. These signals can originate from many directions and have various polarizations. This complicates the measurement of the total RF field since commonly used antennas (dipoles, whips, etc.) respond to signals coming from a specific direction and with a specific polarization. This paper describes a prototype antenna constructed from three crossed dipole elements. The output from these three dipole elements can be used to detect signals having arbitrary polarization, and arriving from any direction. This makes it possible to perform real-time measurement of the total RF field.
Keywords: RF; radio; antenna; polarization; noise; spectrum survey; electromagnetic; crossed dipole; electro-space; environment; Table Mountain
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