CORNER REFLECTOR ANTENNA DESIGN

List of Needed Materials:

1 ea
5/8 OD X 19/32 ID Brass tubing (.015 nom wall)
1 ea
1/4 OD Brass rod or tubing, ID not critical.
1 ea
1/16 to 1/8 brass rod, or 3/32 brass welding rod 15" long
1 ea
Type N, Flange mount, type UG58A/U, or BNC Flange Mt UG290A/U
RF connector, preferably silver plated
1 ea
2-3 sq ft material for reflector(.019 perf aluminum recommended)
1 ea
4-40 brass hex nut
1 ea
4-40 X 1/2 brass screw
1 ea
4-40 X 1/4" stainless steel screw
1 ea
.032 Brass or copper plate, 2" X 2"
o or double sided g-10 matl, 2" x 2" X .062
1 ea
1/2" stopless copper pipe coupling, sweat type
1 ea
Wood, 1" X 2" X 12" as required.
8 ea
#6 X 1/2" sheet metal or wood screws
Also Solder, 60/40, both resin core and solid, fine steel wool, hardware as
needed, misc wood blocks for jigging purposes, suitable plastic container for
optional cover.

Note: Tubing is sold in 1 ft lengths. Hobby shops that sell model airplane supplies
and large hardware and craft suppliers may also carry this material. The amount
of materials are shown to build one antenna for 900 MHz. Antennas for lower
frequencies are larger and will require correspondingly more materials. Brass
tubing for inner and outer conductors can also be any other reasonable
dimensions as long as they have approximately a 2.3 to 1 ratio of ID (outer) to
OD (center). See table 2 for other suitable sizes and resultant impedances. (45
to 55 ohms will be OK)
Introduction
Often, a scanner enthusiast, ham, or UHF experimenter needs an antenna
that is more effective than a discone or ground plane, but does want to erect an
antenna that is overly large and difficult to tune. A yagi antenna can give excellent
results over a restricted bandwidth (1% or so) but can be very difficult to tune and
optimize, especially at frequencies in the UHF range. This is in part due to the
difficulty of constructing a good matching network. Physical dimensions of the
matching network must be kept small and a properly balanced feed must be
maintained, as any radiation or pickup by the network will spoil the performance of
the antenna. Also, element dimensions become small and therefore so do
dimensional tolerances. Although there are a number of antenna design software
packages that are not too difficult to use, things such as the element mounting
methods, boom material, and boom diameter must be considered. Much work has
been done and while there are a number of good designs available, the construction
and testing of an antenna of this type is rather involved and requires test
equipment not available to many hobbyists. The finished antenna, if not tested, may

P a g e 1 | 10

be several DB below expectations and may not have the pattern that was sought
after. Many VHF and UHF experimenters have had this disappointing experience, the
authors included. Smaller yagis with 4 to 8 elements are easier but require the
same care and testing if results expected in design are to be realized in the finished
antenna. Parabolic dish antennas are excellent and not as critical but are large,
expensive and not easy to mechanically mount so they can be rotated. Log periodic
antennas work well and are wideband but are large and do not have a lot of gain (610 db) for their size. Actually, an antenna that has 8 to 10 db gain, is not critical to
set up, and has reasonable bandwidth of 5% to 20% would be a good compromise.
There is a class of antennas, of which the parabolic dish is a member, that
consist of a dipole or other radiator and a reflecting surface. They have fairly good
patterns and good front to back ratios. Short electromagnetic waves used for TV
and radio communications (>400 MHz or <75 cm. wavelength) can be transmitted
and received with small, easy to build reflector type antennas. A conducting, plane
surface acts as a reflector for a dipole as a mirror placed behind a light bulb would
for the light rays. The surface can be solid or be made of screening. The dipole is a
half wave dipole fed from a balanced RF voltage source. Practically all the power
radiated from the dipole toward the plane surface is reflected back toward the
dipole and will add to the power radiated by the dipole if phase relations are correct.
But this is an oversimplification, the exact situation being more complex and
requiring a long winded mathematical analysis, taking into account the dipole
spacing from the reflector, the wavelength, direction from dipole, and the size of the
plane reflector, but it serves to show the principle of operation. If the reflector is
bent so as to form a corner we have a corner reflector antenna. If the surface has a
parabolic, spherical, or elliptical curve, we have a dish type antenna. A surface
parabolic in one direction and flat 90 degrees with respect to that direction would be
a cylindrical parabola, ect. All these geometrical surfaces are useful for various
purposes depending on the desired antenna gain and pattern. The surfaces are
generally about one or more wavelengths in extent, for a useful gain to be obtained.
At 440 MHz this is 2 feet or more, proportionately less at higher frequencies. If the
reflector is bent so as to form a corner we have a corner reflector antenna. If the
surface has a parabolic, spherical, or elliptical curve, we have a dish type antenna.
For the hobbyist with an average assortment of tools and some basic mechanical
ability, the corner reflector antenna is probably the easiest of the aforementioned
antennas to construct. Figs 1 & 2 show the details of this kind of antenna. It is
somewhat foolproof, easy to set up, and will perform well. It is easy to build a
simple corner reflector antenna, using hand tools and commonly available materials
from your local lumber yard, home center, hardware store, or hobby shop. In fact, a
number of the giant home centers that are springing up like weeds around the
country may very well carry every item you may need, especially if they have a
craft or hobby department. Cost should be $20 or less, or next to nothing if you can
scrounge around for some leftover cutoffs and scraps of materials. The antenna will
provide noticeable improvement over a discone or ground plane, have some
directivity, and be well worth the time and trouble to make it. It can be used indoors
as well. It will not be useful for moonbounce, weak signal SSB, DX contests or other
such exotic amateur radio uses but it will be a darn good antenna for much scanner
listening and routine ham use, or as a temporary, cheap antenna to use before
investing in a larger yagi or other expensive setup. With a low loss feedline, an 8 to
10 db antenna will give very good results both in transmission and reception. The

P a g e 2 | 10

author has used two of these antennas for amateur TV transmission at 923 MHz,
one antenna at the home station about 30 feet above ground, the other in a vehicle
with a portable TV set and a receiving downconverter to allow reception of the 923
MHz amateur TV signals on VHF Ch 3. Excellent pictures were received 8 miles away
and, although snowy, a picture was seen at 17 miles. A 1 Watt transmitter was used
at the house. This is not bad for a 1 watt TV transmitter and simple antennas. The
tests were repeated at 1289 MHz with a pair of corner reflectors designed for this
frequency and similar results were obtained.
The corner reflector consists of a balanced half wave dipole placed in front of
a conducting surface which has been bent at an angle of 90 degrees or less. As the
angle gets smaller, the gain tends to increase but the antenna tends to get larger
and the dipole feed impedance becomes lower. The dipole may be constructed with
thick elements to increase bandwidth and a bowtie shaped dipole can also be used,
this being commonly done in a UHF TV antenna to get wider bandwidth. The dipole
may also be made adjustable in length (see figures) to vary center frequency, and
the spacing of the dipole from the reflector may also have adjustment provisions for
optimizing the feed impedance. A folded dipole element can also be used with an
appropriate balun to feed it. The dipole is parallel to the axis of the bend.
Polarization is depends on the direction of the dipole axis, being in the same
direction. Gain is typically 8 to 10 db (isotropic reference) for a reasonable sized
antenna of 1 to 2 wavelengths, but can be made 14 to 15 db or more with a large
reflector (>5 wavelengths) and a narrow (45 degree or less) angle. However this
may get mechanically rather impractical below 1000 MHz. A dipole is a balanced
antenna and cannot be directly fed with coaxial line. Doing so causes the outer
conductor to act as part of the antenna and a large amount of signal is radiated or
received by the outer conductor. For casual reception this may not matter much, but
the pattern of the antenna is destroyed and generally is no longer predictable. In a
directional antenna such as a yagi array or reflector type antenna, this is a disaster.
It will destroy a sought after radiation pattern and really negate careful design
efforts. In fact, a big problem in yagi antenna design is getting a good balun so a
truly balanced feed is obtained to the driven element and no trace of radiation or
reception from the feedline or matching system is evident. This is important when
you are seeking 20 to 30 db rejection of signal in unwanted directions. In order to
have a true dipole, balanced feed is a must. In order to derive a balanced feed for
the dipole some sort of a trans former is necessary. For an unbalanced input voltage
V, where V is the voltage between the coaxial line center conductor and the outer
(grounded) conductor we need the same voltage but isolated and balanced with
respect to ground reference, or in other words, +KV for one dipole element and -KV
for the other. K is a constant which depends on the configuration of the dipole or
other load. This can be done in several ways. An actual transformer can be used or
the transmission line can be used,see figure 4.

P a g e 3 | 10

One way is to coil the coaxial line to form an inductor to isolate the end of the
line from ground. Another is to use a ferrite bead to accomplish the same thing (See
fig 4) These methods are not too practical at UHF but work well at lower frequencies
(<200 MHz). A quarter wave choke sleeve can be placed over the outer conductor
as shown in figure 4. The quarter wave sleeve looks like an open circuit at the
corresponding frequency, and effectively isolates the dipole element from ground.
Another way is to split the outer conductor lengthwise for a quarter wavelength and
connect the inner conductor to the end of one segment, and to one dipole element.
The other segment is connected to the opposite half of the dipole. This is known as
slot feeding. This type of balun gives a 4:1 impedance transformation and can feed
a folded dipole or a simple dipole. We have tried both and were able to achieve a
satisfactory match (1.5 : 1 or better VSWR) by adjusting slot length and trimming
dipole length, and adjusting dipole to reflector spacing. The folded dipole was expected to match the split balun better but a simple dipole worked just as well. Other
stray effects such as slot width, element thickness, and the fact that the feedline
diameter is not negligible with respect to the dipole length probably are the reasons
for this observed behavior. Dipole to reflector spacing affects the dipole impedance.
See Fig 3.

P a g e 4 | 10

However, field tests show that both methods work well and the slot feed
method seems a little easier to implement mechanically. It also has the advantage
of DC grounding both sides of the dipole. With a slider ring around the outer
conductor, the slot can be adjusted in effective length to adjust the match. The
sleeve balun is a little more difficult to build, since suitable diameter hardware and
insulators to fit the tubing can be hard to find and may have to be made. This is
best done on a lathe and is therefore out of the question for many hobbyists having
no access to a lathe or a machinist friend. While both methods give good results,
unless you can find or make suitable hardware yourself, the slot method is the
easier one to use. However you should get equal results in each case.
Installation Instruction
The construction of a corner reflector antenna for 900 MHz will now be
discussed. For other frequencies, the dimensions can be scaled from those given
using table 1 as a guide.
At the lower frequencies, the antenna
is larger so some compromises as to
reflector size may have to be made in
order
to
keep
within
practical
mechanical size, weight and structural
stability. A good idea from a
performance standpoint is to keep the
reflector as large as you can, up to a
few wavelengths. This is obviously
more difficult at 400 MHz than say 1300 MHz. However, as size increases the extra
gain may not be worth the mechanical difficulties and cost. Also, wind loading must
be taken into account as this type of antenna presents a large projected area.

P a g e 5 | 10

Designs for lower frequencies use rods spaced about 0.05 wavelength apart to
simulate a reflector surface, and these rods are usually 1 wavelength or more long.
This reduces wind loading. This method will not be discussed further.
The antenna shown in fig 1 is fairly simple to construct with just hand tools.

Figures 5, 6, and 7 illustrate the mechanical details of construction. First, cut

a piece of 5/8 OD brass tubing with a .015 wall thickness, which is available at well
stocked hobby shops, to a length of about a half of a wavelength at the desired
operating frequency, plus another 1 to 2 inches to allow for the connector and
mounting flange as shown.

FIGURE 5

P a g e 6 | 10

FIGURE 6
Make sure the ends are squarely cut. If you have one, use a
tubing or pipe cutter. A small cutter can be obtained at a
hobby shop. Cut a piece of 1/4 inch tubing to a length about
1/8 inch shorter than the 5/8 tube. These tubes will form the
dipole feed assembly and balun. Cut two slits lengthwise along
one
end of the 5/8 tubing, on opposite sides of tubing. Use a
hacksaw or small slitting saw. The slits should be 1/4
wavelength at
the operating frequency. The slit width is not very
critical.
Next, drill holes for dipole elements as shown. Use a drill
the same diameter as the dipole elements for a snug fit. Next,
cut a length of 1/16 ot 1/8 inch brass rod about 1.05
wavelengths long at the desired center frequency. Shape
the
folded dipole as shown in the figure. Try to make the
dipole as accurately as you can. We used 3/32" brass
welding rod. You can also use #10 solid copper house wire
with
insulation removed if convienient. In addition, a simple dipole
can
be made and converted to a folded dipole by adding a
jumper made from #12 wire or brass rod as shown in
the fig 8. Carefully clean up and deburr cut edges. File the ends of
the
dipole elements to remove burrs and sharp projections so as not to
stick yourself. Next, solder one end of the 1/4 inch tubing
flush to the center pin of a type N connector, concentric
as
shown. If necessary. build up the diameter of the center
pin
with some bare copper wire as shown, for a snug fit and
to
ensure concentricity. Place the 5/8 tubing over the 1/4
inch
tube, and check to see that the the end of the center
conductor is flush with or is slightly shorter than the outer
tube. Trim center conductor as needed. If needed, clean
connector flange with fine steel wool for later soldering. If
desired,
add a shorting ring to adjust slot length as shown. This can
be
done
later with a strip of brass or copper if preferable.
Slip a 1/2 inch copper pipe coupling (use the kind that has no stop) over the
outer conductor. The commonly used 1/2 inch copper water pipe is 5/8 OD so a

P a g e 7 | 10

smooth slip fit should result. If OK, remove and drill a hole at one end to pass a #4
screw. A # 33 drill is large enough, but we used a #28 drill to allow extra clearance.
Polish with fine steel wool to a bright finish. Next solder a 2 X 2 plate made of
copper, brass, or surplus PC board G-10 material to the coupling as shown in figure.
Make sure coupling is perpendicular to the plate. Using rosin core solder, solder a
#4 brass nut to the coupling as shown. Use a stainless steel #4 screw X 1/4 inch
long to hold the brass nut in place while soldering, as solder will not stick to
stainless. Remove the screw after joint cools. Next, slip the flange assembly over
the 5/8 tubing, the slit end opposite the nut as shown. Clean both ends with fine
steel wool to facilitate soldering in next step.
Insert the center conductor and connector assembly into the outer conductor
placing connector flange flush against outer conductor. Check to see that predrilled
holes for dipoles are aligned. You can insert the dipole elements and fasten them in
place with tape, etc to check for correct align- ment. Making sure tubing is
concentric, solder connector flange to 5/8 tubing all around the outside. Use as little
solder as you can for a neat job, and if possible use a hot 100 watt iron with a 1/4
inch tip. A few wooden blocks drilled with 5/8 dia holes will be found useful for
holding parts during assembly and soldering operations. Clean all flux residues with
alcohol. CAUTION - FLAMMABLE.
Do this outdoors away from flame
or
sparks. Make sure no shorts are
present between outer and inner
conductors (temporarily remove
dipole elements). Next, insert
folded dipole as shown and solder.
Note that the outer and inner
conductor are shorted together by
one
dipole element. This is normal.
Make
sure they are aligned as shown.
Measuring from center of center
conductor, the dimensions of each
side of the folded dipole should be
equal and symmetrical.
You now have a half wave slot fed dipole. Connect to a receiver and check to
see if it works as a receiving antenna. It should work as well as your whip antenna
or better. Try orienting vertically and horizontally for best signal reception, as
signals are generally vertical or horizontally polarized If you have the equipment,
use an RF source and a SWR or power meter to check the VSWR. It should be 2.0 or
better. The dipole elements can be trimmed for lowest VSWR later. This will be
affected by reflector spacing, slot length, and also presence of nearby reflecting
objects. If you cannot do this test do not worry. It is nice but unnecessary for receive
only purposes. If the antenna appears dead check for shorts from burrs, solder
drops, steel wool fragments, or other foreign material.
Almost any reasonable material can be used to make the reflector. We used .
019" perforated aluminum sheet sold in hardware stores for making grilles and
covers for radiators, etc, but solid sheet aluminum, copper, wire mesh, or screening
can be used. All you need is a conducting surface. Plywood or even heavy cardboard

P a g e 8 | 10

covered with aluminum foil can also be used, if weatherproofing is not needed, or
for experimental or temporary use. Hardware cloth is also useful but hard to handle.
Referring to Fig 1 the reflector is made by bending a 1 x 2 foot sheet of material as
shown. The exact reflector dimen- sions are not critical, larger being better. This
necessitates two 45 degree bends but is easier to use from a mechanical
standpoint. A piece of scrap wood is used to support the reflector and to mount the
dipole in the center of the reflector. The wood can also be used for as a surface for
mounting a bracket to hold the completed antenna to a mast or other support.
Bracing can be added if desired as shown in the photo. Use wood, plastic, fiberglass,
or other nonconducting material. Conductive materials in front of dipole will cause
detuning and pattern distortion. If thin sheet metal is used alone for the reflector it
is wise to cut the metal 1 inch larger in width and length and use this extra material
to form a folded edge around the perimeter to mechanically stiffen the reflector
surface. A block of wood can be used to form the bends, as the material is easily
worked by hand. After the reflector is formed, cut a hole as shown and fasten the
flange on the dipole assembly to the reflector as shown. The dipole should be
parallel to the bend in the reflector. Initially set the dipole about 0.3 wavelengths
from the reflector. Install a 4-40 brass screw in the nut previously soldered to the
flange assembly to lock the dipole in place. Final adjustment can be made later by
setting the dipole position for lowest VSWR, with an RF source and reflected power
meter or SWR bridge. For receive only applications, no further adjustments are
needed. You could try peaking the adjustments on a weak signal if you are fussy,
but you will find that they are very broad and have little noticeable effect. Next,
mount the antenna in its final location. Make sure to mount the antenna for correct
polarization. Polarization is same as dipole (eg. vertical for vertical polarization).
Vertical polarization is generally used for amateur and commercial two way FM, but
horizontal is used for SSB amateur work and some amateur TV. UHF TV is generally
horizontal or circular. As a compromise, the antenna could be mounted at 45
degrees to vertical. You will find that the antenna has pronounced directivity,
maximum pickup occurring along a line bisecting the reflector angle, in the direction
the dipole faces. The pattern is clean and well defined. Pickup towards the sides or
rear is much less. Therefore, face the antenna in the direction of desired reception.
Two or more of these antennas can be used if multidirect- ional reception is desired,
or a rotator can be used. Bandwidth depends on the VSWR desired, but an antenna
as this should work well over a range of 10 percent or so. An antenna made for 900
MHz will easily work well from 800 to 1000 MHz, and reception at 450 MHz and 1280
MHz will be adequate, but not optimum. Bandwidth can be increased by using
triangular shaped dipole elements but we have not tried this as of yet. You should
find this antenna easy to make and quite effective and may even wish to build
several for different frequency ranges. Simply scale the dipole element length and
reflector size as needed.
For outdoor use, it would be a good idea to cover the dipole and slotted
feedline assembly with a plastic cover to keep out water and insects. A food
container from the local dollar store can be adapted for this. Use a clear plastic
container that is microwave safe. If it does not heat up in a microwave oven, it
probably has low RF losses and will not affect the antenna. The container can be slit
and placed over the dipole and slot (slit facing down). The lid can be used to cover
the open end of the tubing. Clear silicone seal can be used to seal edges and joints

P a g e 9 | 10

against leakage. Clear materials are preferred since pigments such as metal dust or
carbon can be lossy for RF. You can test for this. Place
a material sample in a
microwave oven for a few minutes. The material will
heat up if lossy. If it
stays cool it is OK.
Make
sure
to leave a
small
hole
in the bottom to
allow escape of
condensation.
The
construction
of
a
cover
assembly
is
left
to
the
ingenuity
and
discretion of the
builder.

P a g e 10 | 10