The Receiving Antenna: A Classroom Presentation

The problem of determining the complex phasor voltage produced at the terminals of a receiving antenna, exposed to a plane wave, is solved using a method suitable for an introductory course in antenna theory. The method relies on the concepts of scalar and vector effective lengths. It is based on the use of the principle of reciprocity, Faraday's Law, and the known electric field of an electrically small loop antenna. The derivation presented here is contrasted with the treatment given in three well-known textbooks.