Britannica AI Icon

directional antenna

electronics
Also known as: directional transmitting antenna

Quick Summary

A directional antenna is a crucial component in electronics, designed to transmit or receive radio waves in a specific direction. This contrasts with omnidirectional antennas, which broadcast in all directions. Directional antennas are essential for applications like radio direction finders, which pinpoint the source of a signal by rotating a directional antenna to find the point of strongest reception. They are also used in point-to-point communication and radar systems to focus energy towards a target. The design and size of a directional antenna are dependent on the wavelength of the radio waves it handles.123

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.