SIGNAL ENGINEERING Beams Vs. Conventional Beams
When most people go to compare antennas, they usually do so by comparing the gain figures stated by the manufactureres. The fact is, although there are some generally followed methods for measuring gain, it is not advisable to compare antennas directly based on the stated gain figures. Differences in the way the antenna gain was measured (approximated, computed from readings, etc.) and differences in the test environment (antenna height, nearby objects, etc.) effect the outcome of measurements greatly. Also, there are other performance factors that can be considered that are not included by "standard" measurements.
All Signal Engineering Beams use special elements that are comprised of full (1) wavelength loops as compared to the 1/2 wavelength elements used by conventional beams (Moonraker 4, JoGunn Beams, Maco Beams, Yagi & Hybrid type). This means that, per each element there is twice as much radiating conductor per polarization. The advantages to using full wavelength "Quad" (4-sided) loop elements are numerous and are well known by antenna engineers (and can be found in any antenna handbook). The following photo of our White Lightning 4 element beam, shows the difference. The outlined red color part is equivalent to the conventional beam, it is actually a 1/2 wavelength long. But, as you can see, the element continues around to form a loop (this is outlined in green). The combination of the highlighted red and green sections make up a full wavelength closed loop, and provides superior performance over the conventional beam!
Signal Engineering beams use all Quad loop elements (and NOT a mix of 1/2 wavelength and "Quad" elements) and have these advantages over conventional beams with 1/2 wavelength elements:
| More Gain | Using a Quad loop driver element develops 2db more forward gain than a conventional beam with the same number of elements and boom length. If a Signal Engineering beam and a conventional beam with the same number of elements are tested in the same conditions, there is a definite gain of 2db with the Signal Engineering beam over the conventional. For example, you can use the Signal Engineering SuperHawk beam and have the same forward gain as a larger conventional beam! | |
| Less Static | Quad loop elements, unlike 1/2 wavelength conventional elements, do not pick up rain/snow static (known as "precipitation" static). Rain and snow carry electrical charges that cause loud static levels on receivers - and amazingly the Quad loop does not pick up this type of noise! Therefore, Signal Engineering beams produce a much lower noise level than conventional beams on receive. | |
| Lower Angle of Radiation | Quad elements produce a lower angle of radiation than conventional beams when mounted at the same height. A low angle of radiation simply means the antenna is putting the signal out on the horizon instead of wasting it at high angles. Low angle of radiation is the most useful for long distance groundwave (local) and and DX communications! The Quad loop elements still produces a low angle of radiation even when mounted at low heights where the performance of a conventional beam would suffer greatly. | |
| High Efficiency | Antenna Efficiency is how well an antenna converts RF to usable signal. All antennas lose some signal as heat, but the Quad loop is one of the highest efficiency radiators known to man. What this means is more of your power is converted to signal instead of wasted as heat! This also means hearing weak signals better because more signal gets to your receiver instead of being lost as heat by the antenna! Signal Engineering beams are more efficient than conventional beams, even more so when comparing the Lightning 6 and Lightning 8 to conventional 6 and 8 element beams. | |
| Higher Front-To-Back / Front-To-Side Ratio | Properly tuned Quad loop elements reject signals coming in from the back and sides better than tuned conventional beams do. More of the signal from the antenna is concentrated into the forward direction resulting in better rejection of signals coming from unwanted directions. | |
| Less Signal Fade During DX Communication | Quad loop parasitic elements (not the element that the coax hooks up to) respond to all signal polarization's equally. When receiving DX signals, the incoming signal's polarization is constantly changing causing signal fade & flutter. Quad loop parasitic elements still pick up these signals and result in DX communication that is far more stable than when using a conventional beam. | |
| Lower Weight & Wind Resistance, and Smaller Turning Radius | Our Beams use light weight fiberglass elements that are the optimum size for strength and low weight. This results in an antenna that has a lower weight and a lower surface area than a conventional all-aluminum beam. This means you can support our antennas with a medium duty rotator or not have trouble keeping up our larger beams with your heavy duty rotor! Our Quad loop elements have a smaller "wingspan" and thus a smaller turning radius than conventional beam antennas which means you can fit them into smaller areas. |
These are advantages that
you can determine yourself just by getting on the air with a Signal Engineering beam, this
isn't theoretical hype! Rested assured that when you buy a Signal Engineering antenna, you
are buying the best! Period!
SIGNAL ENGINEERING
3091 Lawrence Expy
Santa Clara, CA 95051
Telephone (408) 247-2300
Toll free Message Center 1-800-761-9409
Email Us:
sigeng@att.net
All Content Copyright 1999, Signal Engineering
