Investigating the sufficient measurement distance for a UAV-performed VHF/UHF radiation pattern measurements

Authors

  • Jakub Krchnák Slovak University of Technology, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology
  • Michal Dzuriš Institute of Electrical Engineering, FEI STU in Bratislava
  • René Harťanský Institute of Electrical Engineering, FEI STU in Bratislava
  • Ján Halgoš Institute of Electrical Engineering, FEI STU in Bratislava
  • Anatolii Kliuchka Institute of Electrical Engineering, FEI STU in Bratislava
  • Michal Štibraný MWTC, s.r.o.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21014/actaimeko.v14i2.2066

Keywords:

antenna measurements, numerical simulation, UAV, radiation pattern

Abstract

The transmission of radio signals in VHF and UHF frequency bands is facilitated by large antenna systems situated at high altitudes and considerable heights above the ground. To determine the functionality of such systems, a crucial procedure is radiation pattern measurement, especially before and after replacing old antennas with new ones. Advancements in drone technology offer a possibility of employing semi-autonomous drones to perform the radiation pattern measurement, providing a high measurement flexibility. Due to the broad spectrum of capabilities offered by drones, compared to the previously used helicopters, there is a need to reevaluate the established method of radiation pattern measurement in the context of drone-based measurements. This study focuses on the analysis of the amplitude errors caused by the quadratic phase error resulting from wavefront curvature in finite-distance radiation pattern measurements. The article presents horizontal and vertical radiation patterns of antenna systems of different sizes and topologies, calculated using the computational software Altair FEKO. Deviations from the radiation patterns calculated for the ideal case of infinite distance are discussed. Additionally, the calculated vertical radiation patterns are compared to those obtained from measurements performed using a commercially available quadcopter and a specialized measurement device.

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Published

2025-06-13

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 2 (2025)

Section

Research Papers

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Jakub Krchnák, Michal Dzuriš, René Harťanský, Ján Halgoš, Anatolii Kliuchka, Michal Štibraný

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