Antennas 101 / How does an antenna work

This video is a tutorial that will describe how antennas work and the properties of different configurations. The common Dipole and 1/4 wave Monopole will be covered. Instructions on how to build your own Monopole WiFi antenna will be presented.
Antenna Fundamentals video:
• Radio Antenna Fundumen...
LoRa Antenna video:
• Build A Mono-pole Ante...
Transmission Lines:
• Transmission Lines - S...

[@JaronLatona]

I know this is an older video but SO HELPFUL. Super informative, easy to understand, not long winded...and amazing use of a bagel to explain a concept! Thank you so much - loved it!

[@0033mer]

You are so welcome! Thanks for the feedback.

[@jeanJenner]

Underrated video! I'm a ham and I wish I had viewed this video when I first started. Thanks for explaining antennas in such an easy way to understand. Keep them coming.

[@jeanJenner]

N2FLA...

[@quebirt]

Agreed. 6 years later, still underrated. It's not exactly a master-class, but it hits the important pieces for getting 90% there, which is better than watching a master-class for hours, missing most of the concepts, and trying to apply them to get a workable antenna. One formula, and a simple modable design.

[@uwuowo4856]

I didnt understand shit... I think im too young

[@Hopeless_and_Forlorn]

I got my FCC First Class RT Operator license in 1980, but antennas were always a weak point for me. This video bought a lot back, and made a lot clear to me. Nicely done, sir.

[@0033mer]

Thanks for the feedback ... glad it helped!

[@amandhakal8939]

I became clear to the concept of impedance matching after watching this video after listening to the word almost for 6 years without any logic. Wow dude... you did great.

[@roberthousedorfii1743]

Please make more antenna videos! You just explained to me in 8 freakin minutes what no one else has explained to me in 20 years of casual investigation. PHYSICAL demonstrations of the antenna wiring beat every damn virtual/whiteboard drawing EVERY DAY. THANK YOU SIR! I finally actually understand WTF a dipole antenna actually is, in real life... Oh, and YEAH, what the ground plane stuff is for also!!!! 73, KD2OQN

[@0033mer]

Glad I could help.

[@CLoak183]

@@0033mer how did you learn this when many of us have struggled for years trying to get our heads wrapped around how an antenna functions?

[@bobwarren3898]

Antenna theory is one of the most interesting 'mystery sciences' there is. They just don't work according to 'normal' electrical theory and many people just don't understand that.

[@zugazugaye]

This video didn't prepare me for tomorrow's test, but made me crave a bagel since I never had one. That thing looks tasty

[@JohnDoe-pv2iu]

I couldn't imagine that someone had never had a bagel before. Get yourself a Bagel and pickup some real butter and Philly cream cheese, too. Mmmm... Yall Take Care and be safe, John

[@zugazugaye]

@@JohnDoe-pv2iu I really would, if I had access to them. Sadly there's very few places that sell them and they're all just bagel shaped bread

[@shanejustice6414]

Excellent description of the EM field generated by the monopole and dipole, as well as gain antennas! Great use of visual aids!

[@ejmakela7525]

Using a bagel to describe a radiation pattern is super clever.

[@sheldonspringer6426]

bagelectrical 101

[@EC-ol8nz]

Very Large Bagel 👍😆

[@thomashardin911]

Now I know why pigs love ham radios! Think of all those calories!!! S#1t!

[@thomashardin911]

reverse thrust very good question, he probably likes ham radio too.

[@unlokia]

He certainly used his loaf ;)

[@kidbach]

I know this is five years late, but that was the best video presentation of antenna pract app. You sir, should write a book, (failing that, at least more videos) expeditiously. Thanks for sharing. KC3UEE

[@0033mer]

You're welcome! Thanks for the feedback.

[@ThePhillipnielsen]

I just learned more about antennas watching this video, than I did the last couple of years reading forum posts on it... Excellent may I say

[@rudykay5618]

Well explained. Demo much easier to understand than other videos. Good job

[@0033mer]

Glad it was helpful!

[@maffysdad]

I've watched many videos over time, read books, but have never understood my CB antenna(s), I'm not stupid, I just never found one that made sense, so I was happy to follow the rule that as long as I could get the SWR below 1.5 by adjusting the length of the 'top' part, it was good!. This video made some sense, it helped me understand concepts I wasn't sure about. The way the power is radiated, how and why the cable can be as long as the aerial, but that it's the shield that reflects the power from the center back into itself, split the two, go opersite ways and you've got less reflection, split the shield part further and you get a ground plane, So simple it actually made sense rather than the drawing in books of a upside down triangle! My D-Pole was the best by far, 10mls, and when there was 'skip' I got to chat to people in other countries! But, OMG! I actually have some understanding now! Seriously, this is like the basic 101 that I needed to kick my ass into gear in to wanting to learn and understand this topic rather than just getting the lowest SWR, I hope now to be able to look for another video or wait for you to produce one which can explain CB antennas, base loaded, mag mount vs through hole grounded, you really did a amazing video there... not too much maths, just enough to help... Thank you soooooo much!

[@ricardosuarez8023]

Thanks for posting. Very clear explanation. Easy to understand even for a non-native speaker like myself.

[@espenskog8745]

Thank you. Very well explained. Especially that you bend the radials to 45 degrees to match the 50 Ohm impedance --- now I get it. Thank you :)

[@0033mer]

You're welcome. If you want to see that type of antenna on an analyzer check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYOQY5Zui8yopKs Thanks for the visit.

[@krisraps]

This Video REALLY Helped Me To Understand HOW Antennas Work.

[@fredschroyer584]

Wow, what a fine, clear, imaginative presentation! Best I've seen. You are a gifted teacher!

[@0033mer]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@teechui2401]

Hello Sir - very nice demonstration and explanation. Just one slight correction I would humbly offer: around 2:40 you refer to maximum power transfer from a stereo amplifier to a loudspeaker. This may be the case in vacuum tube designs but in most solid state designs the amplifier is made to behave as a voltage source, and usually has an equivalent output impedance of milliohms. The designation of 4 or 8 ohms you may see on the speaker terminals of an audio amplifier relates to the design limits of the output stage and to the current and voltage capability of the amplifier to deliver its rated power to a load of a given impedance before either running out of current or voltage. Therefore, it does not exactly relate to the typical RF power amplifier or signal generator, where the output impedance is matched to the rated load impedance for maximum power transfer.

[@0033mer]

Thanks for the response.Yes .. In a vacuum tube amplifier the tubes drive a impedance matching transformer so the speaker load is important for maximum power transfer. These are the days I remember. Solid state class A/B amplifiers are more flexible about speaker impedance and we match more for distortion than power transfer. With the new class D power amplifiers however the output low pass filter needs to see a proper speaker load for power and frequency response. For someone who is new to antenna operation I simply used the stereo speaker output example as something they can relate to.

[@charlie3k]

“We’re not creating power, we’re focusing the power”

[@UnExpertoEnNada]

90 seconds into the video, I already loved the donnut or bagel analogy ! Thanks !

[@kundaig3833]

Learning about antennas, also never had a bagel but those look nice

[@SteveWrightNZ]

A really good absolute-beginners antenna video.

[@Dvyne59]

Great explanation on Dipole antennas and the formula are really pertinent. Thanks!!

[@ReflectingMe2024]

Brilliantly explained sir, just superb. Greetings from Wales (no call sign yet... hopefully in two weeks if I pass) 👍

[@0033mer]

Thanks for the feedback and good luck with your test!

[@ReflectingMe2024]

Many thanks. Can I suggest a video project for you (and for me to copy haha!)... any chance you might be able to do a project that constructs an SWR meter using the Arduino? I am certain this would be hugely popular!

[@0033mer]

I have built VSWR alarms for repeater systems using a Motorola directional coupler and a microcontroller. The directional couplers are expensive and tricky if you want to build one yourself. I would invest in a Bird 43 and learn how to use it properly ... very powerful tool.

[@electronics.unmessed]

👍 nice presentation, I like the demonstration using the Donat. But seriously, I like the practical views on how to create a simple antenna.

[@0033mer]

Glad it was helpful!

[@NexxuSix]

Thank you for this informational video! I’m just getting started in Radio Astronomy, but don’t know much about antennas, but this video certainly helps =)

[@kubectlgetpo]

This is a gold mine find. Dude. You explained it better than anyone! Are you gonna make more videos where you go into how this also related to antenna math?

[@researchcapt]

Great description with the bagel.

[@0033mer]

Glad you liked it!

[@HappyfoxBiz]

assembled a TV antenna tonight, now I'm here to know how it works

[@TheHairyHound]

I haven't a clue what you were talking about but it was a well informed clip 👍🏾👍👍🏽

[@0033mer]

Check out the description box for more instructional videos.

[@learnshareevolve1842]

Excellent explanation for newbies (like me)!

[@0033mer]

Glad it was helpful!

[@TwstedTV]

AWE - Video ended too soon :( I was learning so much. --- More videos like this please :D

[@0033mer]

Check out this video on antenna construction: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJa4lqufndd-kLM

[@TwstedTV]

thank you :)

[@anthonygallo3576]

Ughhh , like i was back in high school! Very informative

[@AndrewBrierley]

Bloody awesome video mate, explained some of the concepts I thought I knew but became so much clearer after watching this, thank you.

[@0033mer]

Thanks for the feedback ... glad that it helped.

[@fer_fdi]

excellent! Thank you very much

[@0033mer]

You are welcome!

[@kevindai1000]

I'm a rf engineer and worked on antenna in the past. Typically when you make an dipole or monopole antenna, you should connect your antenna to a VNA and check your return loss(s11), and make sure it is tuned to the right frequency. The actual size of the antenna is shorter than the calculated value because of fringing effect.

[@0033mer]

The antenna was trimmed using an Anritsu S412E for best return loss. Fringe fields only apply to Microstrip/Patch antennas. With a wire monopole the Velocity factor (Vf) has to be taken in consideration for proper antenna size. The velocity factor is already taken care of in the formula for constructing the radiator and ground plane radials.

[@mastercontrol2461]

@@0033mer rotflmao ,,,,,, You The Man!!!!!! ,,,,,, I've been reading some of the replies,,,, some of these folks need to check themselves before attempting to check you,,, Thank you for taking them back to school! it's been confirmed, you that guy !!!!!

[@user-zlcksu4asdv]

Really nice video for complete beginners like myself!

[@heliumnetwork2871]

Thanks, i will try to make this kind of antenna for my helium miner

[@chrisscott1547]

Pretty good simplified explanation.

[@johnrees44..G4EIJ]

Thank you for an amazingly informative and concise video...so much learned in so short a time!...JR Bristol..UK

[@alasdair4161]

That is a very well presented video tutorial. A lot crammed in and every bit relevant. Great work

[@mathbee]

You did a great job w this video. Very straight forward and clean explain w a nice practice build

[@RobertShaverOfAustin]

That was really interesting. One point; the radial wires did not look like they where are 45 degrees. More like 30 degrees. I guess you could tune the wires if you have a signal strength meter. Perhaps a smart phone with a WiFi app that shows signal strength. That might make an interesting video. Thanks, I'm enjoying these videos. Short, simple, clear and no frills.

[@0033mer]

Good observation .. I built a few of these antennas with different radial angles and I happened to use that one in the video. You are correct, the best way to fine tune the antenna is with a field strength meter and play with the angles. You could even cut the radiator longer to start with and trim off a little bit at a time for a peak in RSSI .

[@bekka1591]

Robert Shaver

[@rilosvideos877]

Aspite some very negative comments i concider this video very informative and well explained! The impedance matching is very important, also the SWR measurement. A NanoVNA ist probably the best and quite inexpensive tool to tune an antenna. Why is a dipole antenna 37 ohm? Is this true for all frequencies and idenpendent from heigt and form/surroundings of the antenna?

[@murrayzhong3968]

You are so smart. I can remember now because the signal is spread in the pattern of a bagel.:-)

[@noweare1]

Excellent presentation. Easily understood. Thanks

[@HisXLNC]

Great vid. Gonna try to build a monopole tomorrow.

[@JL-cu8rh]

Oh great... another number that I got to remember... 377. However, this is a great video!!!!

[@SS-qy9ec]

Also you have something to eat at the end of the vid! What a great informative vid.

[@xanataph]

Brilliant...! Thanx for making this video, it has cleared up a number of things for me about making antennas...and the VSWR too! :)

[@KjartanAndersen]

This is pure gold.

[@solarmangreen157]

Thanks for the video. Why 234 vice the 300 for c that they teach in the books? it is clear to see that 234 used in the equations works well. Thanks again for the video and for your time.

[@---mp8vy]

Love the bagel btw

[@rogeranderson5092]

This question has probably been answered already. And if it has i apologize. My question is what is the purpose of a capacitor being installed on the inside of a flexible antenna? If this seems to be a stupid question i apologize. I'm not stupid but I'm definitely not a genius either. I absolutely love trying to figure out how things work. I love to find things that don't work and see if i can figure out what is wrong with it then see if I can fix it.

[@girl4632]

Plz answer my questions ASAP. I want to know do there is a antenna tht very tiny something like 10^(-3) m, with very narrow beam reaching inosphere. beam so narrow tht it rarely expand when reaches inosphere giving pure one to one connection. Explanation was the best and easiest. By now i have this doubt.

[@ReevansElectro]

I tried putting bagels on my antennas and got less power. Will doughnuts improve my transmission or reception? Are crescents any good?

[@ethelrod1648]

Hell yes! Your vids and explanations are the best.

[@ovalwingnut]

Really interesting info. Thank you for passing it on. Definitely will [subscribe] for more possible tidbits of radio-wisdom :) Thank you again!

[@jamescopeland5358]

Good video

[@0033mer]

Thanks for the visit

[@TeomanOzsen]

You know what I just liked your video and subscribed you. Thank you.

[@ScottyPerkins]

Great video, thank you for putting it together!

[@jmsmaxwell]

Nice tutuorial but would have been better if he had actually hooked it up to a radio and a meter to demonstrate the actual values he was explaining . I did this very stunt back in 1972 when I came back stateside and boughty my first CB radio. I worked with guys who were antenna specialist in AF and we used to play with antenna designs to see if it was possible to take old military antenna and addapt them to Civilian usage for fun. Some interesting experements and drove the FCC crazy at times.

[@ManuelPinner]

N Connecters are use for both 1200 Mhz and 2400 Mhz Antenna,

[@TheDutchGuyOnYT]

5:10 the input impedance will change of you bend the exposed parts to the black (like 120-130 degrees), more like 50 Ω then

[@zedlepplin9450]

10/10 for the bagel

[@KlimovoMan]

Excellent explanation!!! Thank You!

[@veronicamarquez5688]

You are brilliant! Thanks for the video!

[@0033mer]

Your welcome!

[@wei48221]

Great video. Thank you..

[@0033mer]

You're welcome.

[@Karspa247]

Great videos , informative. Im not so good at electronics and need some help. I have a Sony AIR-7 Scanner radio with Air ,PSB

[@TheMightyKinkle]

Great video

[@0033mer]

Thanks!

[@TechnoAutomation]

Thanks for making this video.

[@hadireg]

Excellent explanation! Thanks!

[@annelieseocallaghan801]

Absolutely brilliant video.

[@0033mer]

Thanks for the feedback ..

[@annelieseocallaghan801]

You're welcome. You really are doing a service in sharing this information.

[@StarProduction369]

Love your video thanks you got a new subscriber keep them coming

[@charlespenny9611]

Great, now I want a bagel

[@mr.cp777]

great video..

[@0033mer]

Thanks for the visit

[@BobSmith1980.]

No bagels were actually harmed in the making of this video.

[@KenTeague72]

Wait a dang minute. Did your bagel just identify as a donut?? What had this world come to???

[@mbatson13]

I'm flunking this class... I feel it's basic-ish but there's a lot of physics involved. Back to high school for me.

[@jackmichael9606]

Hi, I want to make an external quarter wave ground plane antenna, mainly to monitor frequencies 118.000 MHz to 136.975 MHz (aircraft band). As far as the 3mm welding rod is concern, is bronze better than aluminum? Also, when using the antenna calculator to determine the length of the radiating element and radial elements, what frequency will I input in the calculator and will I retain the 0.95 velocity factor?

[@vu2rjw]

Very useful information

[@NoYoureBeautiful]

What would be the purpose of a 5 director, powered yagi antenna on an easement? I.e. maintained by county? It's approximately 10' off the ground about 1/4 mile from a cell tower

[@ahmetozdemir7173]

Nice job. According to the formula we see towards the end of the video, when we calculate low frequencies, the wire sizes are quite long. For example; 2832 inch for 1Mhz frequency. An impossible length. Is there a way to shorten the wire sizes?

[@0033mer]

Low frequency = long antennas. Search online for long wire antennas with balun or antenna tuner.

[@yurigagarin4974]

great help thanks😀

[@michaelpriest6242]

101?! Listen to yourself! This presentation is jam-packed with jargon and upper - level knowledge. "We can see that all the power is coming off...perpendicular to the antenna." I don't know who this "we" is. Do you gotta mouse in your pocket? I see a bagel.

[@0033mer]

If you feel this video is jam-packed with upper level knowledge then start off with with other Antenna Basic videos available on KZbin to get you up to speed. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJKmiqKggriWl7c

[@jolujo5842]

Thanks for the video 👍

[@specialedday]

Great video!

[@0033mer]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@electronixTech]

Great video. 👍

[@StupidTVclips]

0:35 That's what she said, "You're vertically polarized"! Bagel?

[@-AnyWho]

now I'm hungry, i want a bagel ...

[@racketman2u]

me too! now to google "bagel fillings" ... I'll get back to my wifi later.

[@megsman4749]

Thanks.

[@tommcqueen3145]

Cool show I like it

[@0033mer]

I'm glad you like it

[@mewintle]

Great video. I’ve been a ham for a long time, but this really helped me grasp some of the fundamentals of impedance matching better. My one complaint-I’m American, but I use metric for anything technical. As soon as you started using inches I got discouraged.

[@K9-33]

Length in Inches X 2.54 = Length in Centimeters Use a calculator ... there is one on your phone.

[@demef758]

You COULD have just stopped watching and closed the video ....

[@mewintle]

That’s a weird suggestion. You want me to try to use my phone’s calculator while watching the video on it and also be able to concentrate on the subject matter? My 7th grade teacher emphasized a method of getting comfortable with Metric. I embraced it and it’s served me well. Don’t convert. Measure in metric and just use that. For most day-to-day stuff, you’re approximating. See a quart of of milk? Think of it as a liter. See a measure of 100 meters and think of it as about the size of a football field. 2 liter bottle? That one is easy. :) I can never keep dry ounces and liquid ounces and weight ounces and 5/16 screws and acres and 3/4 miles all in order. So I look on the package for the metric values and do everything that way. Sooooo much easier than trying to convert Imperial tablespoons to cups. An M3 screw is 3mm and an m4 screw is 4mm. Is a 5/16” screw larger than a 3/4”? Let me find a common denominator. Or maybe just divide to get a decimal inch equivalent. Maybe that’s why it seems okay to use a calculator to people used to imperial units. You’re used to that overhead. If you usually use metric, then it’s just weird to not be able to shift a decimal and get a matching unit. In science we’ve moved on. I learned Earth acceleration due to gravity as 9.8 m/s/s, with 10 being good enough for many purposes. Many of my peers struggle with 32 ft/s/s. See who gets bogged down more quickly. But I get that the US politicized the change and we are still an imperial nation. I don’t care of other people are happy using it. However, in any US science or technical discussion, I expect to hear both. If you have a layperson (non-scientist) US KZbin audience, it’s rude to just give metric values. The US audience is going to miss the gist or tune out. You should know your audience and accommodate their special needs. Many Europeans know non-tech people in the US are a big part of their audience, so they commonly make the effort to have both. But it’s just weird (and a bad look) to not include metric, the lingua Franca of science, at all. To the suggestion that I stop watching the video because I don’t like the units? Did you not see that my main message was that I loved the video and got a lot out of it. It’s exceptional. I just found the lack of metric units made it harder to understand the subject matter. Sorry so lengthy. I just was annoyed to be poked by two people over a simple suggestion tacked on to a complement. It was a waste of my time and anyone else who reads this thread! My apologies

[@umalivealeatoria5474]

AMAZING. THANKSS

[@0033mer]

You're welcome!

[@NoYoureBeautiful]

Also, my neighbor has a parabola with no sonde (spelling?) On his roof along with 2 others that actually use satellite. What's the point?

[@dasgettopikachu7878]

Does the outer metal of the coaxial cable work to isolate the inner one from radio waves while transporting a signal *and* receives radiation?

[@0033mer]

yes .. that is correct and the physical dimensions of the cable determine the characteristic impedance.

[@peternilsson7582]

Thanks!

[@0033mer]

Welcome!

[@franklee90]

Love that volume

[@asliceofthemiscellaneous]

Do you have a link to buy the chassis mount female connector?

[@0033mer]

Check out Digi-key, they carry the whole range of RF connectors. www.digikey.ca/product-detail/en/amphenol-rf/82-97-RFX/ARFX1023-ND/21820

[@russellnotestine6436]

Clear as mud