Nominal Impedance - Radio Antennae

Radio Antennae

The widespread idea that 50 Ω and 75 Ω nominal impedances are connected with the input impedance of various antennae is, in fact, a myth. It is true, however, that several common antennae are easily matched to these cables. A quarter wavelength monopole has an impedance of 36.5 Ω, and a half wavelength dipole has an impedance of 72 Ω. A half-wavelength folded dipole, commonly seen on television antennae, on the other hand, has an impedance four times that of a dipole, that is 288 Ω. The 0.5λ dipole and the 0.5λ folded dipole are commonly taken as having nominal impedances of 75 Ω and 300 Ω respectively.

Read more about this topic:  Nominal Impedance

Famous quotes containing the words radio and/or antennae:

    We spend all day broadcasting on the radio and TV telling people back home what’s happening here. And we learn what’s happening here by spending all day monitoring the radio and TV broadcasts from back home.
    —P.J. (Patrick Jake)

    There is no magic decoding ring that will help us read our young adolescent’s feelings. Rather, what we need to do is hold out our antennae in the hope that we’ll pick up the right signals.
    —The Lions Clubs International and the Quest Nation. The Surprising Years, III, ch.4 (1985)