The effect of local minima on the adjustment of complex directional arrays

This paper draws an analogy between the mathematics used in linear programming and the physical process of adjusting a complex AM directional array. It reviews a mathematical definition of radiation pattern adjustment error then uses that error to relate the concept of local and global minima to the physical adjustment process. Data from an 8 tower array is used to demonstrate by example how local minima influence the outcome of the adjustment task. The data in this paper emphasize the need for an initial design that accurately predicts the array's operating parameters.