Vee antennas built by direct-write fabrication with and without discrete resistive loading

This paper presents results for Vee antennas constructed by direct-write fabrication on a flexible substrate. As discussed in (Iizuka, 1967), the Vee antenna with discrete resistive loading seeks to combine the desirable properties of conductive/resonant Vee antennas (Carter et al., 1931), e.g., increased directivity, with those of ldquoAltshulerrdquo-type antennas where a discrete resistive load is placed a quarter-wavelength (0.25lambda) from the open end of the antenna arm(s). The resistive load produces a traveling wave current distribution between the feed and the resistor. This traveling wave current distribution leads to improved input impedance bandwidths, as well as more directional radiation patterns over an increased bandwidth, at the expense of lower efficiency. Direct-write fabrication of these antennas offers significant advantages in areas such as ease of construction, cost, mechanical support of the antenna, flexibility to change designs quickly, as well as the ability to put antennas on flexible substrates.