Using LEDs to show the direction of a tracking transmitter

[Electric Rain]

I have a question... would it be possible to have 8 antennas all pointing in different directions (Those being N, S, E, W, NE, NW, SE and SW) and have the signal from a tracking transmitter be picked up by them and then compared somehow to find the direction of the strongest signal and have 8 LEDs in a circle to show the direction of the transmitter based on which antenna picks up the signal the strongest? Sorry if this is hard to understand... thanks.

Rain

 

[stevez]

The short answer is yes, it would be possible. Note that unless you are up in the microwave region the directional characteristics of an antenna might not be quite what you are thinking - unless the antenna is quite large (in terms of wavelength). The problem I see is reception - you'd either need 8 accurately calibrated receivers or you'd need to sample the 8 antennas with one receiver.

I know some communications systems use multiple antennas and "voting receiver system" to select the best signal. As I understand it the antennas are separated by some distance.

I could imagine looking at the timing or phase shift of a signal coming in from different antennas but that's way out of my league.

Take a look at Radio Direction Finding to see what comes up. Certainly not a new subject.