Practical Antenna Handbook 5/e, 5th Edition

CHAPTER 19VHF and UHF Antennas

The VHF spectrum is defined as extending from 30 MHz to 300 MHz, and the UHF spectrum from 300 MHz to 3 GHz. In common parlance, however, the UHF upper limit is sometimes taken to be 900 MHz, with frequencies above 900 MHz loosely defined as microwave.

When designing, constructing, and using antennas for VHF and UHF, keep the following points in mind:

• Shorter wavelengths translate to smaller element dimensions. Thus, VHF and UHF antennas are often less expensive and simpler to construct than their HF counterparts, and their supports don’t need to be as strong.

• Shorter wavelengths may allow the use of free-space design rules. A 2-m antenna atop a 70-ft tower is 10 wavelengths above ground, far enough away to ...