On the gain of large planar arrays

Abstract

For a large planar array of closed loops of dipoles, operated in one of its many possible resonant modes, the present definition of gain would seem to be preferable to that suggested by Dr. Roederer. There appears to be no reason for including mismatch losses into the definition of gain. The term gain or directivity should be reserved for properties of the field generated by the currents in the elements of an array. Losses in feeding and matching networks are important and need to be determined, but they are best kept separate from the radiated field and its directive properties, as expressed in the present IEEE definition of gain.