Packset radio antenna measurements

Packset radio antennas in the HF and VHF ranges have traditionally presented severe matching problems due to the dependence of antenna parameters on position, surroundings and operator. The advent of high power (20-40W) packsets tunable over the entire HF and VHF range have made better antenna matching desirable. A novel antenna measurement test set is described and a body of measured antenna data is presented. Variations of reactance over a 2.5:1 range and resistance over a 200.1 range are shown to be common when the antenna is electrically short. Techniques for reducing such variation are discussed.