Practical Antenna Handbook [Paperback]

Joseph J. Carr (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1994 | ISBN-10: 0070111057 | ISBN-13: 978-0070111059 | Edition: 2nd

This edition contains BASIC computer programs for antenna design and impedance matching, expanded coverage of long-wire directional antennas and radio-wave propagation theory, and new material on small loop direction-finding antennas. It presents practical projects, providing nuts-and-bolts information on an array of antenna types, including: high frequency dipole, vertically polarized HF, multi-band and tunable wire, hidden and limited-space, directional-phased vertical and directional beam, VHF/UHF transmitting and receiving antennas, antennas for shortwave reception, microwave antennas and mobile, marine and emergency antennas. Also explained are circuits and methods for matching antenna load impedance to an RF source or transmission line, antenna measurement and adjustment methods, antenna measurement and adjustment methods, antenna grounding techniques and how to use the Smith chart as a problem-solving device.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

“The Antenna Builder’s Bible” – Revised, Updated, and Better Than Ever!

The most popular book on antennas ever written and unquestionably the world’s favorite antenna book, Joseph J. Carr’s Practical Antenna Handbook, Fourth Edition is a treasure for anyone with an interest in antennas, from the newest of novices to the most experienced engineer.

This empowering book gives you all kinds of projects -- and it provides you with material that explains exactly why your creations were a success. But most importantly, it prepares you to design and construct your own antennas “for the cases” Carr modestly suggests “that the author thoughtlessly failed to cover.”

This fourth edition blends, in Joseph J. Carr’s words, “the theoretical concepts that the engineers and others need to design practical antennas, and the hard-learned practical lessons derived from actually building and using antennas --real antennas, and the hard-earned practical lessons derived from actually building and using antennas -- real antennas made of real metal -- not merely theoretical constructs on a blackboard.”

Add it to your library and it will no doubt assume a favorite spot inside your toolbox, dog-eared and annotated with your personal notes . . . obviously used and enjoyed to the fullest extent.

New! Added Material on:

*Small transmitting antennas
*Receiving loop antennas
*Antenna modeling software -- including material on EZNEC for Windows 3.0

Covers a Wide Variety of Antennas:

*High-frequency dipole
*Vertically polarized HF
*Multiband and tunable wire
*Hidden and limited space
*Directional phased vertical and directional beam VHF/UHF transmitting and receiving
*Shortwave reception
*Microwave
*Mobile, marine, and emergency
*And much more

Great For:

*Radio and electronics technicians
*Amateur radio operators
*Citizen banders
*Shortwave listeners (SWL)
*Monitoring hobbyists
*Radio enthusiasts and professionals of all types --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Joe Carr (Falls Church, VA) is a retired military electronics technician and a popular electronics author. He is the author of McGraw-Hill's Secrets of RF Design, 2e and writes a monthly column for Nuts & Volts magazine. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Tab Books; 2nd edition (March 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0070111057
• ISBN-13: 978-0070111059
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,932,782 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but could be better, January 1, 2000

By 

David Stork (New Paltz, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Practical Antenna Handbook (Hardcover)

I have read a few of Joe Carr's books and I have a lot of respect for his work, but this book was a bit of a disappointment for me. The bias is toward amateur HF-band antennas, and I was hoping for better coverage of VHF, UHF and radio and television broadcast antennas in a book with such a broad-sounding title. Even some fairly well-known antenna types used by amateurs and scanner enthusiasts receive little or no attention. I have found the ARRL Antenna book to be much more comprehensive.

A fair amount of the material overlaps with Carr's _Secrets of RF Circuit Design_, so bear that in mind if you already own that book. This book is still worth reading, especially if you work the HF and lower bands, but it shouldn't be your ONLY antenna handbook.

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Book, December 9, 2001

By 

B. C. Chan "Electrical Engineer" (Australia and Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Practical Antenna Handbook (Paperback)

Antenna books follow either the practical approach (e.g. Carr's Practical Antenna Handbook) or the mathematical approach (e.g. Kraus's Antennas). To be a true antenna expert, one needs to know both. But for those of us who are not equipped to handle the mathematical approach, the practical approach will do just fine, in which case I would recommend Carr's Practical Antenna Book and ARRL's Antenna Book. Here are some differences between the two:

1. Carr is more readable.
2. ARRL is more comprehensive, with 2.5 times the number of words as Carr.
3. ARRL has more photographs and better looking sketches.
3. ARRL has a multi-author approach (with technical checks and balances) as opposed to Carr's one-man approach. Carr contains few bibliographical references, whereas ARRL has tons of references for further reading.

My opinion: Carr is better for the beginner, but ARRL is better for details and as a reference book. Better yet, get both books, since they serve complementary purposes.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Practical Overview of TX/RX Antennas, July 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Practical Antenna Handbook (Hardcover)

The title gives a very readable overview of antennas, installation and usage. This book contains sufficient information to allow the reader to choose, design, install and maintain antennas for TX/RX over the entire frequency spectrum. Book contains only essential theory.