14 dBi panel antenna
This antenna consists of array of 4 dipoles over the aluminium reflector. Most commercial panel antennas are microstrip patch antennas. These are impossible to simulate with NEC2. Zeland software's IE3D full-wave electromagnetic simulator is ideal for the design and simulation of patch antennas. I'm working on easy-to homebrew variant of 2x2 suspended patch array and I'll post details later.
If you happen to open your panel antenna, I'm interested to see some photos.
Thanks to Fernando Di Nucci for sending
the photo of a commercial patch panel antenna.
- Frequency range: 2412 - 2472 MHz
- Physical dimensions: 185mm x 185mm x 30mm
- Gain: 14 dBi
- Front to back ratio: 18 dB
- Half power beamwidth: 40 degrees H-plane, 30 degrees E-plane
- SWR < 1.3 (in practice adjust array height over reflector)
- 4NEC2 input file: panel_2x2.nec.txt
Detailed drawing of the antenna by Dave Carpenter
N-Type connector is in the middle of reflector. 4 equal length coax cables
are soldered to connector - coax core to connector core, shield to connector
outer. The cheap RG-58/U coax can be used. Solder a dipole on each
coax's other end - coax core to dipole's upper arm, shield to lower arm.
Dipoles then can be fixed in place with some posts and glue.
Two side reflectors can be added for additional 1.5 dB gain -
panel_2x2a.nec.txt. Azimuth half power
beamwidth is 30 degrees in that case.
Figure 1 - Elevation pattern
Figure 2 - Azimuth pattern
Figure 3 - SWR graph