antennkraft

Antennkraft is a term used in some German-language technical literature and industry to refer to the effective power associated with an antenna system, rather than the bare transmitter output. It describes the amount of power that is effectively radiated by the antenna into space when feeding losses and the antenna's gain are taken into account.

In German-speaking contexts, antennkraft is not a universally standardized term. In formal specifications, engineers distinguish between transmitter power (Ptx), antenna efficiency, and antenna gain, and use the terms effective radiated power (ERP) or effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) to quantify radiated power.

Practically, antennkraft can be approximated by multiplying the transmitter power by the overall efficiency and the antenna gain: P_ant ≈ P_tx × η_overall × G. Here, η_overall accounts for feedline, connector, and radiation efficiency, while G is the linear gain of the antenna relative to an isotropic radiator. If expressed as ERP or EIRP, different reference standards are used (ERP relative to a dipole, EIRP relative to an isotropic radiator).

Understanding antennkraft is important for link-budget calculations, regulatory compliance, and performance comparisons across systems. In practice, most engineers report ERP or EIRP, while antennkraft may appear in informal notes or vendor materials without a strict standard.

See also: effective radiated power, ERP, EIRP, antenna efficiency, feed loss, link budget.