Introducing The Rail-Pole Antenna

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Chelsea Amateur Radio Club member Wesley Cardone (N8QM) has devised an antenna topology he is calling the “Rail-Pole Antenna.” The reader may already be aware that Wes has consistently maintained that all antennas are merely dipole antennas in disguise and this one is no exception.

Wes is willing to give a series of presentations to the Chelsea Amateur Radio Club explaining the nature of this antenna but would like to first find out if there is an interest in it. If you are interested, you must make your voice to be made known.

The presentation would have to be in the form of a series since there are technical aspects to the topology to explain. Every aspect of the presentation series will at least have a dotted line to the FCC pool questions for the General and Extra Class licenses. Here is what Wes thinks could be a synopsis for the series:

  • First month — Present the nature of the dipole antenna
  • Second month — Review the dipole and introduce the Smith Chart from a qualitative perspective.
  • Third month — Dipole and Smith Chart review while introducing the Rail-Pole antenna, all from a qualitative perspective. Introduce a quantitative perspective on the Smith Chart.
  • Fourth month — Dipole, Smith Chart and Rail-Pole review. Introduce an L-Match concept linked to the Smith Chart. Solve for a fundamental Rail-Pole topology at 146 MHz.
  • Fifth month — Introduce EZNEC Antenna Computer Modeling Program
  • Sixth month — Model the Rail-Pole Antenna using EZNEC.
  • Seventh month — Design a practical implementation of the Rail-Pole antenna

Let us know. Contact the club president, Jim Grissom, to let him know what you want (or don’t want) to hear about. This is all about you, the amateur.

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