Practical Antenna Handbook (Paperback)

by Joseph Carr (Author) "RADIO BROADCASTING AND COMMUNICATIONS SEEMS TO HOLD A STRANGE KIND OF magical allure that attracts a wide variety of people and holds them for years..." (more)
Key Phrases: pure resistance line, vee beam, antenna radiator element, East Coast, Citizens Band, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The Antenna Builder's Bible – Updated and Better Than Ever!

Design and construct your own antennas with step-by-step instructions and plans. Joseph J. Carr's Practical Antenna Handbook, Fourth Edition, is an update of the most popular book on antennas ever written. This empowering guide blends theoretical concepts that engineers need to design practical antennas with hard-learned lessons derived from actually building and using antennas -- real antennas, not merely theoretical constructs on a blackboard. Certain to become the toolbox favorite of radio enthusiasts and professionals of all types, from technicians to citizen banders and shortwave listeners, it 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; and mobile, marine, and emergency. This state-of-the-art edition includes a new chapter on antenna modeling software and new coverage of small transmitting antennas and receiving loop antennas.

*Packaged with CD-ROM with antenna modeling software -- including material on EZNEC for Windows 3.0.

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

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 608 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill/TAB Electronics; 4 edition (May 23, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071374353
• ISBN-13: 978-0071374354
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #279,960 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #5 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Telecommunications > Antennas
  #29 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Electrical & Electronics > Antennas & Radar

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

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

By	Dave Stork (New Paltz, NY United States) - See all my reviews

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.

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

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

By	B. C. Chan "Broadcast Engineer" (Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.