Tracing antenna factors of precision dipoles to basic quantities

An experimental method is described to trace scalar S/sub 21/-measurements with a precision network analyzer to the basic quantities frequency and power. The achieved measurement uncertainty is 0.11 dB for two standard deviations (95.5% confidence level) at a dynamic range up to 70 dB. Precision reference dipoles have been constructed for use as electric field-strength standards in the frequency range of 30-1000 MHz. The transmission loss between such pairs was calculated by using the numerical electromagnetics code and measured both on an open-area test site and in a fully anechoic chamber. Deviations between computations and measurement of the transmission loss were less than 0.3 dB for any measurement and less than 0.25 dB for the mean values. The expanded uncertainty in the antenna factor of one precision dipole is 0.15 dB for two standard deviations.