What is The Difference Between a Dipole and a Ground Plane Antenna

Most wireless devices work with the help of an antenna. Vertical antenna can be used from various angles and does not need a ground plane to emit signals. The vertical antenna is a type of vertical dipole. You can do numerous configurations in the antenna. In this blog, we will discuss the definition, differencebetween dipole antenna and ground plane antenna. We will further discuss the major differences between these 2 antennas.

What is a Dipole Antenna?

A dipole antenna is a kind of half-wavelength antenna containing tubing, wire, printed circuit board, and other conductive materials. This antenna is further divided into 2 equal quarter wavelengths and used with a transmission line.

A dipole is an antenna with a simple design. Two wires in a dipole antenna are kept at an angle of 180 degrees and electrically fed in the center. The length of 2 wires is half wavelength. A resonant circuit is open on one side. The current will flow through both wires because of the high electrical voltage.

Based on voltage and current distribution on the dipole, the current and voltage cause an electric field. This electric field radiates in the free space as an electromagnetic wave. Normally, a dipole antenna is a kind of omnidirectional radiator in terms of radiation characteristics. The dipole antenna radiates at a perpendicular angle to the wires 360 degrees circularly.

What is a Ground Plane Antenna?

Now, let us discuss the meaning of Ground Plane Antenna in this section. This antenna is one-half of a dipole that is vertically mounted on any surface. This is a monopole antenna and one-quarter wavelength high. Ground or radicals are the other half of the antenna.

Marconi antenna is a very popular kind of ground plane antenna that is attached to good earth ground. The performance of a ground plane is similar to a vertical dipole when the ground plane is properly conductive and sized.

The Difference Between a Dipole and a Ground Plane Antenna

We will now discuss the major differences between a dipole and ground plane antenna in this section. Some of the major differences between dipole and ground plane antennae are:

• Ground Reference

  A dipole antenna does not need a ground reference and is mounted to the ground plane directly such as the circuit board of an appliance, car body, and housing. On the other hand, the ground plane antenna is half of the vertical dipole antenna. It contains 1 electrical conductor and stands in a vertical position on a ground plane. Normally, a ground plane is at Earth's potential or ground.

• Usage

  Dipoles are normally used as standalone low-gain antennae with various antenna designs like driven arrays and Yagi antennae. You can use a Log Periodic Dipole Antenna with other kinds of antennas such as parabolic reflectors, corner reflectors, or horn antennae. It is generally used in radio astronomy to study various radio signals sent by celestial bodies.

  Ground plane antennas are used for various tasks such as reception, transmission, scanning, monitoring, and jamming applications. It is capable of transmitting and receiving a broad bandwidth. These antennas are useful in several mobile devices.

• Length of Antenna

  Normally, the length of a ground plane antenna can be reduced with the help of inductive shortening elements. These elements increase the antenna losses to a certain extent. They are used only for a narrowband frequency range.

• Radiation

  A dipole antenna can be easily oriented independently to the ground plane of any device. On the other hand, monopole antennas cannot be oriented independently to the ground plane of the devices.

  In the case of the Military Dipole Antenna, the radiation characteristics can be easily adapted by using several dipoles such as kink dipoles and ring dipoles.

  Both dipole and ground plane antennas have different radiation patterns. In the case of a ground plane antenna, the radiated power goes above the plane. It generally has an upward angle.

  Dipole antennas have a donut shape with a hole. Vertically polarized folded dipole antennas are usually placed at a high position. The vertical dipole antenna is ideal for transmission, polarization, and reception.

• Kinds of Antennas

  A dipole antenna is a very common kind of antenna. You will find many types of dipole antennas in the market such as common half-wavelength dipole antennas. On the other hand, the most common kinds of monopole antennas are naval low-frequency and automotive AM antennas.

  These monopole antennas are for broadcast applications that have a very high-frequency range. The radiation pattern in monopole antennas is perfect for broadcasting applications.

Final Words

We discussed the definition of dipole antennas and ground plane antennas in the above section with their differences. The dipole antenna is a kind of omnidirectional antenna that works from various angles and sides.

Monopole or ground plane antennas work with the help of an antenna. It is a type of Directional Antenna that needs a ground plane to emit signals.

You can get the best Log Periodic Dipole Antenna from online manufacturers and online sites. To get the best Ground Plane Antenna, you can visit the official site of antenna manufacturers and companies for more details. Look at the prices of all the companies and compare the prices.