Direction Finding With Loops
Since the directional response of small loop antennas includes a sharp null in the direction normal to the plane of the loop, they are used in radio direction finding at longer wavelengths. The loop is thus rotated to find the direction of the null. Since the null occurs at two opposite directions, other means must be employed to determine which side of the null the transmitter is on. One method is to rely on a second loop antenna located at a second location, or to move the receiver to that other location, thus relying on triangulation.
A second dipole or vertical antenna known as a sense antenna can be electrically combined with a loop or a loopstick antenna. Switching the second antenna in obtains a net cardioid radiation pattern from which the general direction of the transmitter can be determined. Then switching the sense antenna out returns the sharp nulls in the loop antenna pattern, allowing a precise bearing to be determined.
Read more about this topic: Loop Antenna
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—Chinese proverb.
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—Susan Faludi (20th century)