MF AM antenna radiation pattern verification method by near field measurements

No other component of a broadcast system offers as many options in terms of performance and efficiency as the antenna system. The radiation pattern of a MF (medium frequency) antenna is one of the major characteristics to describe the performance of the system. To optimize the reach and effectiveness of broadcast antennas and to prove regulatory compliance it is essential to know their radiation pattern for a given operating environment. Consequently it is of great interest for the broadcaster to verify the specified patterns on the installed antenna system. A tried and trusted method is to fly a helicopter or a plane carrying special recording equipment to perform far field measurements over the site. Besides being costly, this is not always possible. In this article, ground based methods where the calculated radiation patterns are verified by near field measurements are presented. This method provides good results with less expenditure compared to the above mentioned airborne far field measurements.