FAQs from Rohde & Schwarz

Which Receiving Antenna is the right one?

Question

How can I decide which receiving antenna is the right one for applications with my test receiver?

Answer

Emission testing requires a low antenna factor because the passive structure of broadband antennas adds a certain correction value to the receiver's noise floor and because the antenna factor influences the sensitivity. The lowest antenna factor is obtained by using antenna elements close to resonance. The correction factor of a dipole antenna, for example, rises rapidly as you move away from the tuned frequency. Biconical, log-periodic and BiLog elements are solutions for broadband antennas to cover the maximum frequency range possible due to the geometric structure. However, the antenna factor increases at the end of the bands.