Antennas

Demonstration 9: Folded Antenna Elements

Group #3 | 5 ECE B
Olarte, Michael Vincent | Ong, Neil Brian | Ortega, Diane Clarisse | Perez, Jose Raphael
Pea, Wensley Pearl | Pineda, Dianne Faye | Pizarras, Angelica Joy | Ronquillo, Lois Idyll

I. OBJECTIVES
To be able to determine the radiation pattern of the different
types of folded antennas, as well as their voltage and current
distributions.
To be able to show that the drive point impedance of an
antenna or antenna array can be manipulated by folding the
element.
II. THEORY
In any radio system, there exists an antenna transmitter and
receiver, to radiate energy into the space and to receive energy
as well. One of the widely used is the folded dipole antenna that
caters wide number of advantages. The folded dipole antenna
or folded dipole aerial consists of two dipoles with an additional
conductors connecting the two ends together. As both ends
appeared to be shorted, it is considered as folded dipole. This
antenna can also be used as a driven element in another antenna
such as the Yagi-Uda antenna. The main reason for using the
folded dipole is the fact that it has a higher center feed
impedance which is approximately four times that of a basic
dipole (292-ohms). Basically, the increase in the feed
impedance also results to a wider bandwidth. [1]

Fig 1: Measuring of radiation along the folded dipole antenna between the
feedpoint and the ends

For the second set-up as shown in Fig. 2, the radiation

detectors light bulb glows brighter at the point near the feed
point compared to that of figure 1.

III. OBSERVATION
This section provides a detailed approach to the observed
data after performing the tasks specified in the demonstration.
A.

Fig. 2: Measuring the radiation of the folded dipole antenna near the feed
point

Folded Half-wave Dipole Antenna

For the first set-up as shown in Fig. 1 the radiation detector

shows that there is radiation parallel to the antenna.

B.

Quarter-Wave Folded Antenna

Figure 3 shows that there is no radiation along the

balanced feeder. It can also be seen that the light bulbs at the
lower part of the balanced feeder are glowing brighter
compared to those at the top part of the antenna.

Fig 3: Measuring the radiation of the balanced feeder

Fig. 5: Measuring the voltage of the balanced feeder

It can be observed that the light bulb of the radiation

detector is lit and that the light bulbs at the bottom part of the
unbalanced feeder are lit similar to those of the balanced feeder.

It can be seen in figure 6 that the voltage level at the end

of folded dipole antenna is relatively high. The current level on
the other side of the radiation detector is seen to be low.

Fig. 6: Measuring the voltage and current levels at the end of the folded dipole
antenna

Fig. 4: Measuring radiation of the unbalanced feeder

It can be seen in Fig. 7 that the current level near the feed
point is higher compared to the current level in figure 6. The
voltage level on the other hand is very low that the I/V detector
could no longer detect its value.

Figure 5 shows that there is high voltage lever at the

middle part of the balanced feeder. The figure also illustrates
that the current level of the antenna is higher at the bottom part
with the light bulbs glowing brightly.

Fig 7: Measuring the voltage and current levels of the folded dipole antenna
near the feed point

IV. ANALYSIS OF RESULTS

This section provides a more detailed discussion on the

observations made in the experimental set-up, and how the
results can be compared with the concepts in antenna theory.
The first experimental set-up features a folded halfwavelength dipole antenna, wherein two antenna elements are
present: the driven dipole, and the folded duplicate. Based
from the acquired data, it was shown that the antenna has
horizontal polarization, since the current flowing through the
elements are of the same direction, and therefore the currents
will not cancel out. Maximum current occurs in the midpoint of
the dipole while maximum voltage occurs at the endpoints,
similar with ordinary half-wave dipoles.
The second experimental set-up is a quarter-wave folded
antenna, wherein the antenna features lamps to indicate the
amount of current flow in the element. Based on the
observations gathered, there is little to no radiation in this setup, due to the currents flowing on both the antenna elements
cancelling out each other. Since this antenna is a quarter
wavelength long, maximum current is at the bottom of the
antenna, which is depicted by the illuminated lamps at the
bottom of the antenna. Maximum voltage, on the other hand,
occurs at the middle of the antenna. Once one of the output
sockets located in the ground plane was short-circuited, it
causes the currents in the antenna elements to flow in the same
direction, producing push-push currents. This condition will
now make the antenna radiate energy, which can now be
measured by the radiation detector as shown.
V. CONCLUSION

In this experiment, two set-ups of folded antenna were

demonstrated, which are half-wave folded dipole and quarterwave folded antenna with bulbs. Through folding, its matches
the driven point impedance to the feeder or source of power. In
a half-wave folded dipole, push- push currents or double
currents are produced due to currents in same direction and that
radiation resistance is greater for a folded dipole compared to a
half-wave dipole. Just like a half-wave dipole, it demonstrated
a horizontal polarization and maximum current is produced in
the feed point. The maximum voltage can be detected at the
folded ends of the antenna. For the quarter-wave folded dipole
with bulbs set-up, no radiation is detected and maximum current
is at its feed point and maximum voltage at the folded end. It is
considered as a balanced line for it has good balance between
the currents in the two vertical elements that are in opposite
direction. A conductor is used to show an unbalanced line to
short-circuit one of the sockets in the ground plane. It shows in
the set-up that a vertically polarized radiation is produced due
to push-push currents. Like a balanced line, its current is at the
feed point and maximum voltage at the folded end.
VI. REFERENCES
[1] I. Poole, "Folded Dipole Antenna | Folded Dipole Aerial |
Tutorial", Radio-electronics.com. [Online]. Available:
http://www.radioelectronics.com/info/antennas/dipole/folded_dipole.php.
[Accessed: 07- Nov- 2016].