Base loaded antenna??

[erickkr]

Just exactly what is a 'base loaded antenna'?? I've heard the term many times, but just realized that I don't have a clue about what it IS.
:(

[jimwalker]

Ken,

The main thing about antennas is that their length is tuned to the frequency they are trying to recieve. Maximum performance is achieved by having the length of the antenna fully extended.

On airplanes, ( and anything else that's dragging an antenna around), a fully extended antenna can be very inconvenient or even impossible. One solution is to carefully wrap part or all of the length of the antenna around something, being careful not to overlap the winds. These winds are usually contained in a "base" of the shorter extended antenna, thus the term "base loaded". These types of antennas are not as effective as a fully extended antenna, but still are of the correct length in a more compact space and if done correctly can still achieve good reception range.

Jim

[ 09-07-2001: Message edited by: Jim Walker ]