CODAN HF Antennas

Purpose

The purpose of this Antenna Matrix is to assist you in deciding which antenna from Codan’s range best suits your requirements for high frequency (HF) communication over the 2–30 MHz range.

The document is divided into three sections:

• Antenna Selection Proforma
• Fundamental Antenna Selection Criteria
• Practical Antenna Selection Criteria

For higher power applications (>125 W PEP) please contact your Codan representative for specific antenna models and suitability.

Using the Antenna Selection Proforma

In order to determine which antenna best suits your needs, it is important that you consider a series of criteria. We have included an Antenna Selection Proforma in this document so you can record your considerations, and therefore reach an informed decision about which antenna best suits your particular requirements. We have divided these criteria into two categories:

• Fundamental Criteria
• Practical Criteria

Some additional information is given at the beginning of each of the Fundamental and Practical Criteria sections. This information explains how to use the Antenna Selection Proforma effectively.

Antenna selection proforma 

Fundamental criteria

Maximum communication distance

km

Minimum communication distance

km

Maximum frequency

MHz

Minimum  frequency

MHz

Distance from transceiver to antenna

metres

Antenna position

rooftop

ground

mobile

Possible antenna choices

Practical criteria
Space requirements noted
Grounding requirements noted
Civil works requirements noted
Budget constraints noted
Benefits and limitations noted

Final antenna choice

Notes:

Fundamental criteria

The fundamental criteria for selecting an antenna cover the basic requirements of your system, e.g. communication distance, frequency range, etc.

Communication distance

Fill out the Antenna Selection Proforma with your expected maximum and minimum communication distances. This information is important as antennas have different capabilities over distance.

Frequency range

Fill out the Antenna Selection Proforma with your expected maximum and minimum frequencies. This information is important as antenna models have different capabilities over the range of HF.

Distance between transceiver and antenna

Fill out the Antenna Selection Proforma with the expected distance between the transceiver and the antenna. This distance will dictate the type of coaxial cable to be used in the installation, and may even eliminate some antennas from the selection process.

Type of installation

Fill out the Antenna Selection Proforma with the expected type of installation, i.e. rooftop, ground or mobile. Some antennas are very specific to the installation, e.g. a C411 antenna cannot be used in a mobile installation.

Antenna choices based on the fundamental criteria

Use the information provided in Table 1 to select those antennas that are most suitable for your requirements. Write your choices in the spaces provided on the Antenna Selection Proforma.

Table 1: Fundamental antenna selection criteria

a. Use RG58 coaxial cable
b. Use RG8 coaxial cable
c. Use CODAN 9103 Automatic Antenna Tuner
d. High power models available

Practical Criteria

The practical criteria for selecting an antenna covers the broader constraints that your particular circumstances may place on your choice of antenna. Refer to the information provided in Table 2 to consider your answers to the following questions:

• Do you have enough physical space at the intended antenna site?
• Does the antenna require grounding?
• Are there any civil works required?
• Have you considered how much can be spent on the antenna?
• Have the benefits and limitations of the antenna been carefully considered?

Please check the boxes provided on the Antenna Selection Proforma to indicate that you have considered the questions above.

Table 2: Practical antenna selection criteria

Antenna Type	Product code	Installation site requirements			Grounding requirements	Benefits	Limitations	Typical Applications
		No. of masts	Distance between masts (m)	Height (m)
Horizontal
Wire Dipole	CODAN 400	2	142/f (MHz)	71.0/f (MHz)	None required	Highly efficient, requires no earth system, cost effective	Single frequency, not suitable for scanning networks	Base to base fixed frequency
Broadband	CODAN 411B	2	58	13	None required	Good performance, lightweight, easy to install, cost effective	Narrow frequency range, requires large installation site	Base to base/mobile communications, suitable for data/voice/ scanning networks
	CODAN 411C	2	47	10	None required	As above	As above	As above
	CODAN 411D	2	38	8	None required	As above	As above	As above
	CODAN 411E	2	31	6.5	None required	As above	As above	As above
	CODAN 411F	2	26	5.5	None required	As above	As above	As above
Broadband Dipole	CODAN 408	2	64	15	None required	Excellent performance, high quality components	Expensive, requires substantial support structures and large installation site	As above
	CODAN 408L	2	46	15	None required	As above	As above	As above
Inverted V
Active Tuned Dipole	CODAN 451	1 centre mast 2 stub masts/anchor points	Centre to stub mast: 9	Centre: 6 Stub: 1	None required	Easy to install, requires no earth system, requires one main mast	Added cost of antenna tuner, inferior performance compared to full size broadband antennas	Rooftop installations for multifrequency data/ voice/scanning networks
Broadband	CODAN 411B	1 centre mast 2 stub masts	Centre to stub mast: 27	Centre: 16 Stub: 6	None required	Good long distance, requires one main mast, smaller installation site than horizontal configuration, cost effective	Narrow frequency range, large installation site, performance may be inferior to 408 type antenna	Base to base/mobile multifrequency communications, suitable for data/voice/ scanning networks
	CODAN 411C	1 centre mast 2 stub masts	Centre to stub mast: 22	Centre: 13 Stub: 4.2	None required	As above	As above	As above
	CODAN 411D	1 centre mast 2 stub masts	Centre to stub mast: 18	Centre: 11 Stub: 4.8	None required	As above	As above	As above
	CODAN 411E	1 centre mast 2 stub masts	Centre to stub mast: 14.5	Centre: 8 Stub: 3	None required	As above	As above	As above
	CODAN 411F	1 centre mast 2 stub masts	Centre to stub mast: 12	Centre: 6.5 Stub: 2.4	None required	As above	As above	As above
Delta	CODAN D230	1 centre mast 2 ground anchor points	Centre to ground point: 29	Centre: 22	None required	High performance, two antennas may be mounted on same mast for transmitting	Expensive, requires large installation site	Communication stations requiring quality voice/data/scanning network
	CODAN D330	1 centre mast 2 ground anchor points	Centre to ground point: 23	Centre: 16.5	None required	As above	As above	As above
Vertical
Tuned Whip	CODAN 406	Clear area of at least 8 m diameter			Ground—code 158 earth mat Roof—code 159 ground plane	Suits small sites, easy to install, good long distance performance	Poor short distance performance, requires antenna tuner, susceptible to local electrical noise	Networks requiring long distance multifrequency communications, but have limited antenna installation space
Auto Mobile Whip	CODAN 9350	Heavy duty mounting bracket on vehicle			Good electrical connection to vehicle chassis and body	No manual changing of settings, durable construction, receiver scanning possible	Expensive, poor short distance performance unless NVISa kit fitted	Mobile vehicles requiring flexible, high performance HF communications
Tapped Mobile Whip	CODAN 300	Suitable mounting bracket on vehicle			Good electrical connection to vehicle chassis and body	Simple, reliable, cost effective	Average performance, maximum of 10 frequencies, manual retuning, no receiver scanning	Mobile vehicles requiring basic, medium performance HF communications
Sloping
Semi Delta	CODAN SD214	2	20	Centre: 15 Stub: 2	Ground—well grounded stub mast Roof—5 copper radials under antenna	Suits small sites, excellent performance, cost effective	Difficult to install, requires quality earth system, limited frequency range	Base stations requiring quality broadband antenna for short to medium distances
Long Wire	CODAN 403	High anchor point at least 15 m: low anchor point approximately 2 m and within 2 m of earth system connection			Ground—3 x 3 m copper earth stakes driven into moist soil Roof—5 copper radials under antenna	Adaptable installation configurations, minimal support structures, broadband operation	Inferior performance to full sized broadband antennas, requires earth system	Base stations requiring multifrequency operation, suitable for semi-permanent stations