International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering (IJITEE)

ISSN: 2278-3075, Volume-9, Issue-2, December 2019

Low Cost Antenna Design for the Application of

Over the Horizon Surface Wave Radar
Zulfajri Basri Hasanuddin, Wardi, Gunawan Tari

 accurately to replace patrol ships that can save the use of fuel
Abstract: The need for surveillance and security in Indonesian in security of sea operation and vessels used particularly to
water region which can monitor activities of distance object such drive away and capture foreign vessels[3].Radar technology is
as illegal fishing, foreign vessels violation, piracy of vessels and studied continuously to improve performance and distance
smuggling can be done by using radio wave. Maritime radar over range and identify objects. The development of radar
the horizon (OTH) surface wave is able to detect the existence of especially at the field of maritime and defense in Indonesia
foreign vessels in Indonesian waters. Based on this, the study
was begun by coast surveillance radar such as Indonesian
aimed to design a low cost antenna namely Yagi - Uda linear array
antenna at 15 MHz frequency at frequency range 6 – 24 MHz for Radar (INDRA) and Indonesian Surveillance Radar (ISRA)
the application of over the horizon radar. Yagi - Uda antenna is to control ships in Indonesian waters, but the range was still
superior in the spread of wave suitable to OTH Radar very limited to tens nautical miles. The distance range can be
characteristic over the sea surface and big gain. Yagi - Uda determined from power transmitted, width of signal band
antenna develops rapidly in communication system makes it received, antenna gain, antenna polarization, and antenna
applied in many modern communication devices nowadays. This width. The designed antenna for the OTH radar has been
antenna was designed and simulated using Simulator Ansoft High developed widely such as log periodic antenna, parabola
Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS) version 13. The antenna, dipole antenna, and omni antenna.Some of them
simulation result of the antenna design after doing optimization
have small dimensions and some have big dimensions. The
was return loss (S11) = -29,62 dB, VSWR = 1.068 and gain = 2,413
dBm. most known antenna model is Yagi-Uda antenna. This
antenna has better direction effect and gain. At this study the
Keywords : Gain, HFSS, High Frequency, OTHRSW Radar, Yagi-Uda antenna module design at 6 – 24 MHz was
Yagi-UdaAntenna discussed with operation frequency 15 MHz for the
application of OTHRSW radar.
I. INTRODUCTION
II. LITERATURE REVIEW
The development of technology and electronic
communication occurs rapidly. This is marked by the Radar is an electromagnetic system technology used to
existence of new technologies in different fields. The detect and find target position by receiving echo signal from
development of communication technology that can control the target area. Radio wave transmitted from an object can be
the area of the Republic of Indonesia is still very limited so received by radar and analyzed to know the location, distance
that the sea water area of Indonesia is prone to illegal fishing, and types of object. Although the signal received was
foreign vessels violation, piracy of vessels, and smuggling. relatively weak, the radar can easily detect and strengthen the
The appropriate surveillance system using radar signal.The result of radar detection will be displayed by the
communication system can operate 24 hours so that illegal display unit processed the received signal from the receiver
action can be prevented. This radar operates at HF frequency into information, both in the forms of pictures and data so that
band 3 – 30 MHz[1]. The government of the Republic of it is easy for the users to analyze. The range was determined
Indonesia commits to realize the self-reliance in the by the transmitted power, bandwidth signal
acquisition of sophisticated modern defense equipment. transmitted/received, antenna gain, antenna polarization, and
Various efforts have been done to secure the Indonesian sea width of antenna[4].The radar system has three main
region. One of the solutions is the development of components: transmitter, antenna, and receiver[5]. Antenna is
technology. The appropriate solution to develop at present a component that can determine the performance of radar
especially the security of the sea area is by using Early system comprehensively in detecting target in certain
Warning Radar System technology having range Over the distance. There are many types of antennas depending on
Horizon that is about 100 – 400 nautical mile[2]. The Early their use and frequency such as microstrip antenna, Yagi
Warning Radar System was functioned as a warning provider antenna, monopole antenna, etc. Yagi-Uda antenna consists
placed at strategic points along the border area. The of dipole arranged from several elements: reflector, driven,
establishment of Early Warning Radar System was meat to and directory[6]. The reflector element functions as power for
control, detect, and identify in detail all violation activities maximum signal transmission to target and driven element
such as illegal fishing, piracy, etc. This radar will operate functions as receiver of power from the transmitter device to
be transmitted[7]. In general the reflector element will be
longer than the driven element and the directory element will
Revised Manuscript Received on December 05, 2019. be shorter than the driven element. The driven element is an
Zulfajri Basri Hasanuddin, Department of Electrical Engineering, element provided with electric voltage. The Yagi antenna
Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar, Indonesia. model with three elements can be seen in the following
Wardi, Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering,
Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar, Indonesia. figure.
Gunawan Tari, Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of
Engineering, Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar, Indonesia.

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Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering
DOI: 10.35940/ijitee.B6615.129219
2215 & Sciences Publication
 Low Cost Antenna Design for The Application of Over The Horizon Surface Wave Radar

standard. Bandwidth can be considered as range of

Reflector
frequency, at the other part is used as mid frequency
in which the antenna characteristics can be accepted
Driven as the mid frequency value for Broadband antenna,
the bandwidth was regarded as a comparison of
upper operation frequency and lower frequency[16].
c. Gain
Directory
There are two types of gain at an antenna: absolute
gain and relative gain. The absolute gain at an
Fig. 1. Basic of Yagi Antenna antenna is defined as comparison between intensity
Radiation from an antenna is relatively wide which means at certain direction with radiation intensity obtained
that it has low gain. For long distance communication at the when the received power by antenna was radiated
radar application, very high antenna gain is needed [8]. In
isotropically.
order to get such antenna, the size can be enlarged to exceed
the wave length[9]. d. Radiation Pattern
The arrangement of several antennas according to Radiation pattern of an antenna can be defined as
particular geometric and electric configuration is called array radiation pattern of mathematic function or
antenna. The antennas of this group are usually similar, for illustration graphically from the radiation
examples, dipole array and microstrip array[10]. This is characteristics of an antenna as function of a space
prioritized for easy analysis and fabrication. Total electric coordinate. At a comprehensive case, the radiation
field of the array is superposition vectorially produced from
pattern was calculated/measured at far distance field
each antenna. In producing a particular radiation diagram to
prioritized direction to get high gain, the vector field was and illustrated again as a coordinate of direction.
done by superposition constructively, whereas to other
transmission, low gain superposition should be done III. ANTENNA DESIGN
destructively[11]. The planning shape of Yagi-Uda antenna with HFSS was
There are five parameters that can be used to control the done by determining the design dimension and antenna
radiation diagram of the array[12]: specification from the referential reference. With the
1. Geometric configuration array simulator of ansoft HFSS v.13, important parameters show
a. Linear: the antenna was arranged in a particular line performance of an antenna: return loss (S11),Voltage
b. Circular: arranged on a circle Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR), gain, and radiation pattern.
c. Planar: arranged on a two dimensions field. 1. Antenna Specification
2. Distance from one antenna element to another Parameters in designing the antenna are:
element. a. Working frequency (fo) was 15 MHz
3. Current amplitude or voltage was put on antenna b. Types of antenna: Yagi-Uda
element feeding. c. Long dimension of elements consist several
4. Current phase or voltage on feeding. dipole antennas. Modification step was then
5. Radiation diagram from each element. done to obtain optimum result.
The estimation formulation to calculate the element d. Input impedance used in designing Yagi-Uda
length and a two element Yagi antenna spacing is as antenna was 50Ω.
follows[13]: 2. Calculating dimension
Reflector = 0.495 x λ (meter) In designing an antenna, there are several
Driven = 0.473 x λ (meter)
Directory = 0.44 x λ (meter) parameters that must be calculated:
Gain of a Yagi antenna was obtained by maximizing a. Determining the wave length of the antenna
important element factors of Yagi parasitic antenna[14]. In which can be made by using the following
improving the gain, The change of the driver arrangement of equation:
the Yagi antenna will not give much effect on its gain. The
𝑐
most effective way was by doing appropriate arrangement of 𝜆0 = = 20 meters
𝑓
the size and distance in placing the element.
Determining the length of reflector by using
The antenna parameters used to test or measure the
the following equation:
antenna performance was antenna frequency, VSWR.
R = λ x 0.495= 9.9 meters
bandwidth, antenna gain, and radiation pattern[15].
b. Determining the driven length by using the
a. VSWR (Voltage Standing Wave Ratio).
following equation:
This is a comparison of voltage between maximum
rms voltage (|V|max) and minimum (|V|min) 0.473 x 20 meters= 9.46 meters
occurred at mismatch channel. c. Determining the director length:
b. Bandwidth D1=0.44 x 20 =8.8 meters
Bandwidth antenna is defined as range of frequency D2=0.435 x 20 =8.7
with several characteristics according to fixed meters

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DOI: 10.35940/ijitee.B6615.129219 2216 & Sciences Publication
 International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering (IJITEE)
ISSN: 2278-3075, Volume-9, Issue-2, December 2019

D3=0.43 x 20 =8.6 meters The obtained simulation result from the calculation and
D4=0.425 x 20 =8.5 meters designing theoretically may not be the result of optimum
D5=0.42 x 20 =8.4 meters calculation. In order to obtain maximum result, distance
optimization can be done between elements and add directory
D6=0.415 x 20 =8.3 meters
element. The analyzed antenna after putting the frequency
D7=0.41 x 20 =8.2 meters range determined from 6 MHz to 24 MHz. The output result
d. Distance between elements = 2.5 meters showed in return loss (S11), VSWR, gain, and radiation
pattern graphic forms.
The design of Yagi Uda antenna system is as follows: From the simulation result, it was found that the value of
return loss was -29,62 dB at the frequency 15 MHz can be
Start seen in Figure 4.

Determining workingfrequency
(fo),Input impedance

Calculating the size of reflector,

driven and directory elements

Establishing 9 elements of
Yagi-Uda antenna design
Fig. 4. Graphic of Yagi Antenna S11
Simulation with HFSS software to obtain VSWR, From the simulation result, the value of VSWR was 1,068
S11, and radiation pattern parameters at the frequency 15 MHz can be seen in Figure 5.

VSWR < 2 No
S11< -10 dB

Yes
End

Fig. 2. Flowchart of Antenna Design

The result of further calculation was simulated by using
HFSS simulator to find out the values of VSWR, S11, gain Fig. 5. VSWR Graphic
and radiation pattern. If the obtained result based on The simulation result shows the radiation pattern and the
simulation did not show the standard value of antenna, size of gain can be seen in Figure 6.
optimization of elements length was done, distance between
elements, and addition of element expected had maximum
result through trial and error process so that the design
fulfilling the standard specification criteria was obtained.

Fig. 6. Radiation Pattern

Figure 7 shows the gain value of the simulation result was
2,410 dB and radiation pattern produced was directional.
Figure 7 is the gain produced from Yagi-Uda 9 elements
antenna.
The simulation results can be shown in tabular form as
Fig. 3. Yagi-Uda 9 Elements Antenna follows:
IV. SIMULATION RESULT

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DOI: 10.35940/ijitee.B6615.129219
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 Low Cost Antenna Design for The Application of Over The Horizon Surface Wave Radar

Table I. Simulation Result of the Antenna Design 4. L. Warren, Strutzman, G. A. Thiele, Antenna Theory and Design 3rd
Edition. Virginia : John Wiley & Sons inc, 2012.
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All the simulation results above have shown that 6. M. K. Chaitanya, et al, “Design of 5-Element YAGI-UDA Antenna
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the choice of material and use of array technique combining
in several modules of Yagi-Uda antenna so that theoretically AUTHORS PROFILE
it can have maximum gain to detect target in the distance of
Zulfajri Basri Hasanuddin received his Bachelor
100 – 400 nautical miles. Yagi-Uda antenna has a big gain of Electrical Engineering from Universitas
and radiation pattern suitable with OTH radar transmitted Hasanuddin, Indonesia in 1992, Master of
from the coast. But the gain can be affected by quality of Engineering and Doctor of Engineering in Computer
material, length of element, distance between elements and Science and Communication Engineering from
Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan in 1999 and
addition of element. 2003, respectively. He is currently working as the head of Radar and Satelite
Lab at Universitas Hasanuddin. His research areas of interest are radar and
VI. FUTURE WORK satellite communication, radiowave propagation, ICT and Multimedia
System, communication engineering and computer science, and Computer
This study can still be developed further by making the and Telecommunication Network.
hardware of the transmitter, receiver, and software of radar
image. Wardi received the B.S. in Electrical Engineering from
Universitas Hasanuddin, Indonesia in 1997, M.S. in
Telecomunication Enginering University of South
ACKNOWLEDGMENT Australia, Australia in 2006 and Doctor of Engineering
in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the
Graduate School of Science and Engineering of Ehime University, Japan in
The authors would like to thank Hasanuddin University for 2012. He is working as a member of staff Electrical Engineering Department
supporting this work. In addition, the authors would like also of Universitas Hasanuddin, South-Sulawesi, Indonesia. Hisresearch areas of
to thank our colleagues in Maritime Security Agency of the interest are Telecomunication and Information Technology, Ad-Hod
Network, Telecomunication Network and Transmission and wireless
Republic of Indonesia for valuable discussion. Network.

REFERENCES Gunawan Tari was graduated from Walenrang 1 Luwu

1. M. I. Skolnik, Radar handbook. Second Edition. United State of in 2006. Hae received the B.Eng and M.Eng in
America: McGraw-Hill, 1970. Telecommunication and Information Engineering from
2. G. A. Fabrizio, High Frequency Over-The-Horizon Radar. Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar, Indonesia in 2012
McGraw-Hill, 2013. and 2017, respectively. He is currently working as staff
3. D. R. Nitika, “Design Of 5.2 Ghz Yagi-Uda Antenna For Wireless and researcher at antenna laboratory at Universitas
Communication Application,” International Journal of Advanced Hasanuddin.
Research in Electronics and Communication Engineering
(IJARECE), vol. 4 Issue 1, January 2015, pp. 011-013.

Published By:
Retrieval Number: B6615129219/2019©BEIESP Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering
DOI: 10.35940/ijitee.B6615.129219 2218 & Sciences Publication