Technical Sidebar

How the Phasing System Works

A phased vertical system uses two or more antennas spaced apart and fed with controlled phase relationships. When the signals from the antennas combine in space, they reinforce in some directions and cancel in others.

The result is a directional radiation pattern.

For two vertical antennas spaced roughly 1/8 to 1/4 wavelength apart, proper phasing can provide:

• Forward gain of roughly 3 dB

• Improved signal-to-noise ratio

• Reduced radiation in unwanted directions

In this installation, both verticals are fed with equal lengths of coax and combined through a 2:1 transformer. Slightly different tuning between the antennas helps broaden the overall system bandwidth.

The result is a simple phased system that improves transmit performance while still maintaining a usable SWR across most of the 160-meter band.