Rhombic Antenna Designs and Construction Resources
Find plans, experiments, and technical details for building and understanding rhombic antennas for amateur radio use.
Rhombic antennas are a classic choice for directional HF operation, especially for long-haul DX and shortwave broadcasting. These wire antennas are known for their broadband characteristics and significant gain when properly designed and installed. Hams often consider rhombics for fixed-direction communication where high performance and reliability are key, particularly on the lower HF bands where physical space allows for their extensive footprint.
Operators interested in building or experimenting with rhombics can find numerous resources covering design principles, construction details, and performance modeling. Many pages offer practical advice on calculating rhombic antenna dimensions for specific bands, while others delve into the theoretical aspects of how rhombic antennas work. Examples from stations like ZL6QH and K0UO showcase large-scale rhombic antenna farms, providing inspiration and real-world insights into their deployment for serious DXing and receiving applications.
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An in-depth article by Richard R. Greene on shortwave broadcast antenna systems, covering types like log-periodics, dipole arrays, and rhombics. -
Great pages about KB1SG rhombic antennas collected by EI8IC. -
Receiving rhombic antenna experiments by Jelmer PA5R -
Rhombic Antenna dimensions for HF and VHF bands by N6JSX -
Rhombic antenna for shortwave radio broadcasting, general description and radiation patterns -
Rhombic antenna definition and articles by answers.com -
Rhombic antenna experiments by Jelmer PA5R -
Article on rhombic antennas, radiaton patterns, disvantages, and more info on rhombic aerials -
Description and simulation of two types of rhombic antennas, using the software 4Nec2: the simple bi-directional and the terminated directional rhombic antenna -
The rhombic antenna is often claimed to be an exceptionally good antenna with very high gain. Modelling rhombic antennas -
The rhombic antenna is a diamond-shaped antenna, suspended between 4 masts. -
Includes beverage and rhombic antennas -
Modeling an antenna over real terrain gives you a visual picture of how terrain impacts performance. You can use a model to determine optimum height for antennas on an existing tower, Compare different tower locations for performance, Compare different sites for performance