I have observed several situations related to Yagi antennas.
1. Some radiation units are based on oscillators, while others are based on dipole oscillators. What are the specific differences between these two types of oscillators?
2、Are the power box and barrel mandatory?
3. Some Yagi antenna diagrams have elements that point towards the unit, with one element being shorter than the others. The more units there are, the shorter the top-most element becomes. Other Yagi antenna diagrams have all the elements pointing towards the unit and of equal length. What are the differences between these two types in practical use?
4. In the dimensions chart, does the spacing refer to the distance between the centers of the oscillators, or the distance between the edges of the oscillators? For example, if an oscillator has a diameter of 6mm and the spacing between the two connecting units is 138mm, does this 138mm include the 6mm (the distance between the centers of the two oscillators)?
Off-topic
I built a 9-element Yagi antenna using 2.8mm iron wire, calculated based on the dimensions of 435MHz. The center frequency test showed that the center frequency was around 426MHz. I shortened the radiating elements proportionally and adjusted the length of the driven elements to bring the center frequency closer to 435MHz. Based on these dimensions, if recalculated, the expected frequency should be around 456MHz.
What is the cause of this difference? Is it due to the diameter of the oscillator, or something else?
I connected the two wires directly to the radiating element, without using a balun or feedhorn. In practice, when aiming at the repeater with the Yagi antenna, I receive -70dBm from the repeater and 770kHz-85dBm from the New Name repeater. The Yagi appears to have one more signal level than the New Name repeater. Is this normal?
Please, Ham, could you provide some clarification? Thank you.