The Broadcast Antenna

During the past several years, the trend in broadcast transmitting antennas has been towards the vertical radiator. The performance of these newer antennas has been subject to considerable theoretical discussion. This paper, however, emphasizes the actual field results obtained with tower radiators, and presents data on efficiency, base voltage, base loss, practical design considerations, and cost. It is concluded that the conventional broadcast antenna supported by two towers, as used in the past, is definitely outmoded by the single vertical radiator, or, in special cases, by a combination of vertical radiators in a directional array. Antennas used in the broadcast band only, 550 to 1500 kilocycles, are considered.