Analysis of Antenna Null-fill and Broadcast Coverage

Myron D. Fanton, PE
Electronics Research, Inc.

Abstract—Antenna pattern characteristics of end-fed and center-fed 3). This may be understood by the fact that the two edges of the
arrays are discussed. End-fed arrays are found to have improved aperture have very different amplitudes (Fig. 1a). When the two
null-fill and coverage. vectors interfere constructively (in-phase) the large sidelobe
peaks occur, and when they interfere destructively the heavily
Index Terms—Antenna Arrays, Antenna Patterns, Propagation
Analysis
filled nulls occur.

1
I. INTRODUCTION
0.9

A ntenna arrays for high-power broadcast applications have

key differences in feed networks and pattern performance.
0.8

0.7

Amplitude (Relative Field)

High-power slot array antennas vary primarily between end-fed
0.6
and center-fed arrays [1]. The power in an end-fed array is
applied at one end and is delivered to each element in a manner 0.5

that produces patterns with high side-lobes and high null-fill, 0.4
characteristics that produce improved areas of coverage.
0.3
Pattern differences between end-fed and center-fed
0.2
arrays are derived from fundamental principals, and the
propagation is analyzed. In particular the role of increased null- 0.1

fill, the amplitude of the pattern minima in the region near the 0
main-lobe, in improving coverage. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Normalized Element Position

Figure 1a: Amplitude Aperture Distribution of End-Fed Array

II. ELEVATION PATTERN SYNTHESIS

The radiated fields of an antenna are related to the 160

distribution of fields at the antenna aperture. For arrays of

140
discrete elements, the aperture distribution is related to the fields
at each element. Given the amplitude and phase of each 120
radiating element, αi, βi respectively, and the known (linear)
array geometry, di, the array factor may be computed by the
Phase (Degrees)

100

following equation [2], 80

60

AF (θ ) = ∑ α i e j ( kd i cos θ + β i )
(1), 40

20
where k is the propagation constant and θ is the elevation angle.
If the array consists of similar elements, the product of the array 0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
factor and the pattern of one element produce the elevation Normalized Element Position
pattern. Note that the quantity computed by Equation (1) is a
Figure 1b: Phase Aperture Distribution of End-Fed Array
complex number, providing both amplitude and phase of the
elevation pattern.
Because the aperture distribution of the center-fed
array, shown in Figure 2, has lower amplitudes at each end of
III. SIDE-LOBES AND NULL-FILL the array, the magnitude of the side-lobes produced in the pattern
(Figure 3) are lower than those produced in the end-fed case.
The side-lobe structure of an antenna may be The nulls are also lower because the amplitude of the fields is
interpreted by considering the vector interference of the fields at nearly equal at the ends of the center-fed array, adding
the edges of the aperture. The side-lobes of an end-fed array are destructively in the nulls.
generally high and the respective nulls are heavily filled (Figure

ERI Technical Series, Vol. 6, April 2006 10

 0 10
1
End-Fed 9
0.9
-5 8
0.8 Center-Fed

Amplitude on Ground (dB)

0.7
Amplitude (Relative Field)

Diff
-10 6

Difference (dB)
0.6
5

0.5
-15 4

0.4
3

0.3 -20 2

0.2 1

0.1 -25 0
0.01 0.1 1 10 100

0 Distance From Transmitter (mi)

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Figure 4: Relative Received Signal, 1.4 deg. Beam-tilt
Normalized Element Position

Figure 2a: Amplitude Aperture Distribution of Center-Fed Array

1 10

160 0.9 9
End-Fed

0.8 8
140 Center-Fed

Pattern Amplitude (Relative Field)

0.7 7
Diff
120
0.6 6

Difference (dB)
Phase (Degrees)

100 0.5 5

0.4 4
80
0.3 3

60
0.2 2

40 0.1 1

0 0
20 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Elevation Angle (Degrees)

0 Figure 5: Array Patterns, 0.6 deg, Beam-tilt

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Normalized Element Position

Figure 2b: Phase Aperture Distribution of Center-Fed Array

0 10

End-Fed
9
IV. SMOOTH EARTH PROPAGATION
Center-Fed
-5 8

Patterns from the two array types are shown in Figure Diff 7
Amplitude on Ground (dB)

3. The end-fed array pattern has characteristic high side-lobes -10 6

Difference (dB)
and high null-fill, and the center-fed array pattern has lower 5

side-lobes and null-fill. Figure 4 shows the resulting signal at -15 4

the surface of the earth with the antenna mounted atop a 1000ft. 3
tower.
-20 2

1
1 10

End-Fed -25 0
0.9 9
0.01 0.1 1 10 100
Distance From Transmitter (mi)
0.8 Center-Fed 8

Figure 6: Relative Received Signal, 0.6 deg. Beam-tilt

Pattern Amplitude (Relative Field)

0.7 Diff 7

0.6 6
Difference (dB)

0.5 5
Figures 5 and 6 show the results of an array with 0.6 degree
0.4 4
beam-tilt, and Figures 3 and 4 are the results at 1.4 degree beam-
0.3 3 tilt.
0.2 2

0.1 1

0 0
V. CONCLUSIONS
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Elevation Angle (Degrees)
End-fed arrays for television broadcast applications
Figure 3: Array Patterns, 1.4 deg, Beam-tilt
produce patterns with higher side-lobes and higher null-fill than

ERI Technical Series, Vol. 6, April 2006 11

center-fed arrays. For the same ERP, the antenna patterns of the
end-fed arrays have 10dB higher amplitudes in the side-lobe
region, translating to 10dB improvements in coverage areas
several miles from the tower. These coverage improvements are
key in improving signal to noise ratios in urban propagation
environments with interference and multi-path challenges [3].

REFERENCES

[1] Wittaker, Jerry, ed., NAB Engineering Handbook, 9th

Edition, Washingtion, DC, 1999

[2] C.A. Balanis, Antenna Theory – Analysis and Design, Harper

& Row, New York, 1982.

[3] G.W. Collins, Fundamentals of Digital Television

Transmission, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 2001.

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ERI Technical Series, Vol. 6, April 2006 12