Practical Antenna Handbook [Paperback]

Joseph J. Carr (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0070120269 | ISBN-13: 978-0070120266 | Publication Date: July 14, 1998 | Edition: 3rd

The comprehensive guide to antennas, one of the most basic elements of communications. Fully updated, It remains the most practical introduction to the design, construction, installation, and troubleshooting of virtually all types of antennas. Enhanced by a wealth of Illustrations, including examples and worked-out solutions of equations, and a CD-ROM of tools for antenna modeling and design.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The world's favorite antenna book. The most popular book on antennas ever written, widely known as "the antenna builder's bible," Joseph J. Carr's Practical Antenna Handbook, Third Edition is a work 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, yes. And it gives you material that explains why what you did works. 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 third 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 made of real metal--not merely theoretical constructs on a blackboard." Add it to your working library, and pretty soon it'll assume a favorite spot inside your toolbox, beaten up, tattered, annotated with your persona notes... obviously used to the fullest extent.

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 alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 574 pages
• Publisher: Mcgraw-Hill Osborne Media; 3rd edition (July 14, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0070120269
• ISBN-13: 978-0070120266
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,489,454 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.