1991-10: Hidetsugu Yagi
When I Think Back... by Neville Williams Hidetsugu Yagi: A pioneer who gave radio antennas a sense of direction Look up the word `Yagi' in almost any book on radio communications, and you will be told that it refers to directional antennas of a particular kind. Rarely do the authors have much to say about the Japanese inventor, whose memory it perpetuates. So who was he, and why does his name now occupy such a conspicuous place in the predominantly 'western' jargon of modern electronics? In my younger days, it took a while in an approved manner, cut to specified UHF bands & equipment to catch up with the idea of designing dimensions and coupled to the transmit- wireless/radio antennas to have specific ter and receiver in a particular way. The 1936 ARRL Handbook also in- properties — beyond, perhaps, the broad In the amateur world, there were cluded special chapters on so-called assumption that big was beautiful! In grounded antennas, Hertz antennas, 'UHF' receivers and transmitters. But the fact, we didn't even talk about antennas. doublets and zeppelins, centre fed, end- designs were still relatively primitive and the associated discussion of UHF anten- In the bush, we put up 'aerials', sig- fed and so on. They were all subject to mathematical nas was, at best, sketchy and concluded nifying 100-odd feet of stranded copper thus: wire suspended by insulators 30 feet or calculation, and exhibited predictable so above ground. There was nothing very directional properties and effective 'A finalftrm suggestion is that a direc- scientific about the design, the physical 'gain'.
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