Tuesday, April 3, 2012

InnovAntennas



InnovAntennas use the very latest in electromagnetic computer design technology in conjunction with Particle Swarm Optimisation methods (considered to be the best in optimisation technology today) to produce some of the most innovative and high performance antenna solutions available today.

Exclusive designs from some of the world's top antenna designers have been turned into professionally built, mechanically excellent antennas with a focus upon being manufactured the right way not the most cost effective way. A number of variants of each model can be produced in order to cater for the real-world requirements of both the commercial and ham customer. Considerations for light-weight, high wind handling ability, portability and long-term durability mean that no-one mechanical design can deliver a best-of-breed for all scenarios. At InnovAntennas we appreciate this fact and aim to deliver the product you want rather than the product that is most profitable for us.

Our antennas are not designed to provide the best 'on-paper' gain figures, instead we design our antennas for the requirements of the band in question and for the specific purpose the antenna will be used. For example, on many HFbands, optimising an antenna for maximum gain is the way to go in most cases (but not all) provided a near 50 Ohm impedance can be maintained through its bandwidth. However, on most VHF and all UHF bands, optimising in such a way isdetrimental to the receive performance of the antenna and therefore inappropriate for the antenna to be designed this way. This is assuming the antenna needs to receive as well as it does transmit. In many cases, never-achieved-before attributes such as Sky Temperature and G/T Figures are better with InnovAntennas Yagis (per metre of boom) than any other Yagi, period. If you want to be assured of the absolute best performance and antenna stability, along with design consideration for your intended use, InnovAntennas are your only option.

InnovAntennas are a very different antenna company in many ways. With a focus on Yagi-style arrays and production of designs between HF, VHF and lower UHF only, sufficient research and development time can be applied where it is needed to ensure the very best in all important performance attributes are met and thus enabling the production of unparalleled antennas.

As you read through and study our range of antennas, you will be introduced to parameters and performance figures perhaps not seen from a single 'package' before and this is with good reason. 'Imagination is more important than knowledge' were the words of Albert Einstein and he was right. It is not just the leading-edge software development tools which allow us to excel in our design goals, it our creative ability which ensures continuous over-achievement and an aim to keep pushing the boundaries set by antennas of the past. So, what else sets InnovAntennas apart from our peers?

Particle Swarm Optimisation
Sophisticated Computer Optimisation tools ensure the highest levels of performance are achieved.
Multiple Electromagnetic Simulation Tools
The very latest electromagnetic Simulation tools are used to confirm our antennas totaling £10,000s/$10,000s.
Thousands of Computer Hours Developing
Many multi-processor computer servers are running PSO optimisers 24/7/365 in order to achieve the best possible results for our antennas.
Best-in-Class Performance
When looking at all performance attributes within a single package, we believe InnovAntennas are second to none.
Highest Levels of Build Quality
Mass production can often mean 'acceptable' build quality and tolerances. Not at InnovAntennas, we will always be best!
Bespoke Development to Suit Your Requirements
Commercial applications require targeted, focused performance and we will always invest the time required to provide your ultimate solution.
Mechanical Construction and Component Choices through Simulation Results
Not many antenna companies boast Simulation tools that can test external elements. For this reason you will not see end caps on our elements, Polyamide insulators, Gama or Hairpin matches and more. Rest assured we know our field!
Computer Optimised Mechanical Design
It is not just the electromagnetic design of our antennas which is handled by computer. Our abilities extend to the computer modelling of the mechanical structure of our antennas too ensuring long-term performance in any conditions.
Quiet Antennas from Software Concept to Mechanical Design
From the super-supressed patterns of our antennas through to the closed loop feed systems and the 1/4 stub connection from feedpoint to boom (which eliminates stray Eddy currents from the boom) Our antennas are designed to eliminate all aspects of potential loss or performance degradation.





The LFA (Loop Fed Array) Low-Noise Yagi is very different from the traditional dipole fed Yagi in many ways with its primary benefit being unwanted noise rejection. The LFA has a rectangular shaped, full wave loop driven element that is laid flat on the boom between and in-line with the parasitic elements . Then there is the way in which the loop functions. The smaller end sections which run parallel to the boom, are engineered to be 180 degrees out -of-phase with each other. This provides the same effect as is seen within ladder-line feeder; each side cancels the other out and therefore, minimum radiation occurs. In practice this translates to highly suppressed side lobes and side-on signal rejection. This feature also plays a role in reducing F/B (Front to Back ratio), F/R (Front to Rear ratio) and broad-banding of the antenna too. It is these attributes which help give the LFA class-leading all-round performance at almost any boom length and for any given band.

Below are a list of Key Benefits the LFA Yagi provides:
Full-Wave Closed Loop Feed System
The closed loop system helps reduce the reception of man-made noise and static
50Ω Direct Feed - No Matching Loss
The LFA Yagi has been carefully Optimised in order to ensure a 50Ω feed-point. This ensures no matching loss and minimal resistive (Ohmic) loss
High F/B ratio
Another attribute of the LFA Yagi is the exceptional Front to Back ratio it has for a direct-feed, 50Ω Yagi. Get rid of unwanted signals from behind your antenna!
Super Wide Bandwidth
Another unique characteristic of the LFA Yagi is the excellent bandwidth the antenna possesses. This ensures very large portions of a given band can be used with little return loss
Constant Impedance & 'All-Weather' Stability
A very rare feature is the ability for an antenna to provide the level of performance of the LFA and be stable in all weathers. This is provided by the LFAs constant impedance
Wide-band Performance Maintenance & Stability
Unique to the LFA is Wide-band Performance Maintenance. Many antennas have their best F/B at one end of the band and best gain figure at the other end. The LFA extends its performance across a very wide pass-band

Class-Leading Sky Temperature and G/T figures
For Earth-Moon-Earth and other weak signal modes, no other antenna comes close to the LFA. Search for the VE7BQH G/T Table and compare the LFA with everything else. Nothing comes close
Highly Suppressed 'Rear Bubble' for All-Round noise reduction
With any side lobes being highly suppressed in all areas other than that of the direction in which the antenna is facing, your receiver only 'hears' what you want it to
The Most Important Part of your Receiver has to be The Best
Your antenna is a part of your receiver and arguably the most important part of your station. You have spent thousands on radio equipment, make sure you don't short-change your set-up by choosing anything else other than the InnovAntennas LFA Yagi




The OWL (Optimised Wideband Low impedance) Low-Noise Yagi is another development of Justin Johnson, G0KSC. Originally the OWL formed the basis of a DUBUS magazine article which found that low impedance antennas need not be narrow band and unstable in wet or icy conditions.

Generally, the lower the impedance of an antenna, the better performance (in respect of forward Gain (Gain) and Front to Back ratio (F/B)) can be achieved. G0KSC extended his development with focus on 12.5Ω versions of the OWL for very good reason; if a 12.5Ω OWL has its split dipole changed to a folded dipole, the feed impedance is transformed from 12.5Ω to 50Ω and thus any 'would-be' matching losses are removed and ohmic loss reduced to insignificance.

While the swapping of a split dipole to a folded dipole within a Yagi is nothing new (generally done on 50Ω split dipole yagis to give a new, 200Ω Yagi), G0KSC also established performance could be improved further if the whole antenna (including its new folded dipole) was computer optimised as a complete unit. The results have been more than impressive and with the addition of thru-boom parasitic elements and a folded dipole place above/below the boom, light weight and portability have entered into the equation resulting in a excellent all-rounder.

Some of the key OWL Yagi benefits are listed below:
Closed Loop Feed System
The closed loop folded dipole system helps reduce the reception of man-made noise and static
50Ω Direct Feed - No Matching Loss
The OWL Yagi has been carefully Computer Optimised with the folded dipole in place to ensure a 50Ω feedpoint. This ensures no matching loss and minimal resistive (Ohmic) loss
High F/B ratio
as with the LFA, the OWL Yagi has an exceptional Front to Back ratio it has for a direct-feed, 50Ω Yagi. Get rid of unwanted signals from behind your antenna!
Super Wide Bandwidth
While not quite as broadband as the LFA, the OWL Yagi has excellent bandwidth properties. This ensures very large portions of a given band can be used with little return loss
Constant Impedance & 'All-Weather' Stability
Following the LFA the OWL is able to maintain impedance in wet weather and therefore will not de-tune like other antennas can
Class-Leading Sky Temperature and G/T figures
For Earth-Moon-Earth and other weak signal modes, only the G0KSC LFA Yagi comes close to the OWL. Search for the VE7BQH G/T Table and compare the OWL with everything else.
Super light-weight Design & Construction
Due to the mechanical requirements of the OWL (with thru-boom elements) the OWL is super lightweight and thus ideal for contest and field day operation
Simple SWR Fine-Tuning Feature
No two locations for an antenna are the same. With this in mind the the requirements of the perfectionist as well as the every day user in our sights, the folded dipole of the OWL has adjustable end sections to allow for very simple SWR fine-tuning
The Most Important Part of your Receiver has to be The Best
Your antenna is a part of your receiver and arguably the most important part of your station. You have spent thousands on radio equipment, make sure you don't short-change your set-up by choosing anything else other than the InnovAntennas OWL Yagi





The OP-DES (Opposing Phase - Driven Element System)Yagi is another development of Justin Johnson, G0KSC. The OP-DESYagi has been specifically developed for HF applications where bandwidth and performance within one package is difficult to come by.

The OP-DES Yagi has one characteristic of all G0KSC developed Yagis, it has a 50 Ohm feed-point impedance and all impedance transformation is done within the driven element itself and therefore, the antenna is not susceptible to matching losses in the same why traditional Yagisare (more on this subject can be found here).

For the wider of the HF bands many hams opt for the OWA (OptimisedWideband Array) style Yagi to give all-band performance. However, theOWA does not provide the levels of performance lower impedance antennas can albeit the OWA has the prefer split-dipole, 50Ohm feed-point.

The OP-DES has the ends of a split-dipole bent back towards the reflector element. This provides 2 functions. First of all, the current phase in each end section is in opposing phase and therefore cancel one another out, this helps to reduce/remove side lobes. Additionally, these end sections act as impedance controllers, taking this job away from D1(first director) and thus making the adjustment of the antenna (while in computer optimisation much easier resulting in better levels of performance. As with all of our antennas the OP-DES driven element has adjustable end sections in order that SWR fine-tuning is possible.

All band performance on bands from 40m to 12m is possible with 1MHz coverage on 10m too. When we say all band performance, we do not simply mean the SWR is at an acceptable level, the OP-DES provides excellent levels of gain and F/B throughout each band too. If you are looking for the ultimate in mono-band HF performance, look no further than the OP-DES Yagi !!

Some of the key OP-DES Yagi benefits are listed below:
Opposing Phase Driven Element System
Reduces side lobes and helps provide a much wider band antenna with constant performance characteristics
50Ω Direct Feed - No Matching Loss
The OP-DES Yagi has been carefully Computer Optimised with the 'bent' Driven element in place to ensure a 50Ω feedpoint. This ensures no matching loss and minimal resistive (Ohmic) loss
High F/B ratio
as with the LFA and OWL, the OP-DES Yagi has an exceptional Front to Back ratio for a direct-feed, 50Ω Yagi. Get rid of unwanted signals from behind your antenna!
Super Wide Bandwidth
The broadest bandwidth of all our antennas, the OP-DES is best suited to HF applications where performance and bandwidth is needed in a single package.
Constant Impedance & 'All-Weather' Stability
Following the LFA and OWL, the OP-DES Yagi is able to maintain impedance in wet weather and therefore will not de-tune like other antennas can
Class-Leading Direct Feed Yagi Performance
For a given boom length, we believe the OP-DES Yagi provides superior all-round performance than any other HF direct feed Yagi.
Simple SWR Fine-Tuning Feature
No two locations for an antenna are the same. With this in mind the the requirements of the perfectionist as well as the every day user in our sights, the driven element of the OP-DES has adjustable end sections to allow for very simple SWR fine-tuning
The Most Important Part of your Receiver has to be The Best
Your antenna is a part of your receiver and arguably the most important part of your station. You have spent thousands on radio equipment, make sure you don't short-change your set-up by choosing anything else other than the InnovAntennas OP-DES Yagi for HF

No comments: