Backfire
Full Name
Backfire Antenna
Alias
Short Backfire Antenna
SBFA
Definition
An antenna consisting of a radiating feed, a reflector element, and a reflecting surface such that the antenna functions as an open resonator, with radiation from the open end of the resonator.
Overview
The backfire antenna design is a type of directional antenna created by H. W. Ehrenspeck and associates at the Air Force Cambridge Research Center in 1959. The design was obtained by placing a large reflector at the open end of an end-fire antenna.
Applications
Backfire antennas are occasionally used in satellite communication, as well as in high-frequency communication equipment on ships where the design's rugged construction is an advantage.