The Physics of Basic Antenna Theory and Design

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Recommended: Invention of radio

Long ago there lived a race of cat people who had much the same problems with antennas that we humans have today: bad reception during the last few seconds of a game, continual snow during their favorite part of their favorite movie, and a severe lack of the "magic position" that one is required to hold when covered in tin foil and grasping the antenna. Unfortunately for them, they did not have this web page to reference and therefore they died. This left an opening for humans. Initially, humans could only communicate verbally over short distances, yelling distance that is, stirring in them a desire for long distance communication (very different from a long distance relationship, do not get the two confused, otherwise this site will make absolutely no sense). Okay, so I made that part about the cats up, but seriously, if anyone knows how to get good reception with a younger brother covered in tin foil, let me know......not that I have done it, mind you, I am just wondering. Now, on with the show.

The first antenna experiments were conducted by Joseph Henry in 1842 at Princeton University. Henry was successful at "throwing a spark," when he observed that magnetic needles were magnetized by a current induced in a circuit several floors up. In 1885, Thomas Edison patented a communication system the used a type of vertical antenna. Then came James Clerk Maxwell, who in 1864, presented his theory on electromagnetism to the Royal Society, providing the theoretical foundation for antennas. With this discovery, many other scientists began to explore this new frontier and the age of the radio began.

Just so you do not end up like this guy, I am going to explain a few terms so the technical discussion is a little easier to follow. (Note: do not actually try to open a window in such a manner, you will most likely throw your shoulder out because mice have relatively low mass and it takes a heck of an arm to get them up to window cracking speed, aka "ludicrous speed" for you Space Balls fans). The terminology is as follows:

Technical Stuff

Here is the information that goes a little deeper into the theory of how an antenna works. Although this is not a very intellectually intense site, I will warn those viewers on a lunch break or perhaps surfing the net while "between projects," that there are some concepts on this page that use what some people call "math," and other supposedly important "scientific information.

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