A LABORATORY COURSE ON ANTENNA MEASUREMENT

This paper presents background information and ex-periment procedures for an antenna measurement laboratory course to be held in a new anechoic cham-ber at California Polytechnic State University. The lab consists of five experiments and one design project intended to give students practical experience with antenna measurement techniques and to creatively apply analytical skills to design, construct, and test antennas that meet given specifications. The experi-ments reinforce antenna principles including E-field polarization, antenna gain, radiation patterns, image theory, and frequency response. In addition to the experiment procedures, this paper presents the design and characterization of Helical Beam (RHCP and LHCP) and Discone antennas, a Dipole Antenna near Planar and Corner Reflectors, and Dipoles with and without a balun. These antennas demonstrate polarization, antenna gain, broadband matching characteristics, image theory, and feedline radiation due to unbalanced currents. Measured ra-diation patterns, gain, and axial ratio (helical only) show excellent correlation to theoretical predictions