Antenna Characteristics - Harris RF-7800W Student Manual

Antenna Characteristics

Gain is a measure of increase in power and is the amount of increase in energy
that an antenna adds to a radio frequency (RF) signal.
Direction is the shape of the transmission pattern. As the gain of a directional
antenna increases, the angle of radiation usually decreases. This provides a
greater coverage distance, but with a reduced coverage angle. The coverage
area or radiation pattern is measured in degrees and is called beam width.
Beam widths are defined in both horizontal and vertical plains. Beam width is the
angular separation between the half power points (3dB points) in the radiation
pattern of the antenna in any plane. Therefore, an antenna has horizontal beam
width and vertical beam width.
Polarization is the physical orientation of the element on the antenna that emits
the RF energy.
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