4NEC2 4nec2 is a completely free Nec2, Nec4 and windows based tool for creating, viewing, optimizing and checking 2D and 3D style antenna geometry structures and generate, display and/or compare near/far-field radiation patterns for both the starting and experienced. Software to automate and animate your antenna modeling and propagation predictions. Has built-in links to the public domain NEC-2 and VOACAP engines. Especially designed for antenna modelers, 4nec2 is a simple tool for designing, optimizing and verifying 2D or 3D geometry structures. 4nec2 is easy to use and comes with a basic 3D editor to help. The 6.0.26 version of EZNEC is available as a free download on our software library. Our antivirus analysis shows that this download is virus free. The most popular versions among the software users are 6.0, 5.0 and 4.0. EZNEC was developed to work on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 10 and is compatible with 32-bit.
TheW8IO Antenna Site - NECand Mininec
(21 October 2016)
NEC Software for Yagi Design
| Software / Version / Author | Type of Yagi Design | Input/Open/Import File Formats | Save/Export File Formats | Price |
| 4NEC2 version 5.8.16 Arie Voors | - | .nec .ez (EZNEC) .ant (AO) | .nec .txt | Free |
| EZNEC version 5 Roy Lewallen W7EL | - | .ez (EZNEC) .en | .ez | EZNEC v. 5 ($89) EZNEC+ v.5 ($139) EZNEC Pro/2 v.5 ($500) |
| AutoEZ Demo 2.0.10 Dan Maguire AC6LA | - | .weq (AutoEZ) .ez (EZNEC) .nec .ant (AO) .inp .maa (MMANA-GAL) | .weq (AutoEZ) .ez (EZNEC) | Demo - Free full version - $79 |
| YagiCAD 6.2.5 Paul McMahon VK3DIP | includes sample Yagifiles | .yc6 (YagiCAD) .yag (YagiCAD) .nec (4NEC2) .yw (Yagi for Windows) .ant (AO and MN) .yag (YO) | .yc6 (YagiCAD) .nec .nec (4NEC2) .txt | Free |
| YW- Yagi for Windows 2.0 Dean Straw N6BV | - | .yw (Yagi forWindows) .yag (YO) | .yw (Yagi forWindows) | includedin ARRL Antenna Handbook |
| Yagi Calculator 2.6.10 John Drew VK5DJ | DL6WU long boom Yagi creation | no file import | .yag (YO) .maa (MMANA-GAL) | Free |
| CocoaNEC 2.0 Kok Chen W7AY | - | .nec | ? | Free (Mac OS-X version of NEC) |
| MMANA-GAL | - | ? | ? | ? |
| NEC2GO | - | .nec | .nec | $39.95 |
| YAGio 1.01 Roger Cox W8IO | DL6WU long boom Yagi creation | .yio (YAGio) | ,yio (YAGio) .nec (4NEC2) .yag (YO) .mma (MMANA-GAL) .yc6 (YagiCAD) | Free |
Note: K6STI's AO and YOsoftware no longer available. His older versions will not work inWindows 7 and 8.
NEC/MININEC-basedSoftware Vendors:
EMScientific:'New'MININEC Free'Expert MININEC Classic' software - badlink?
EZNEC/EZNEC+andEZNECPro (W7EL)
NEC-WinPlus, NEC-Win Pro, GNEC 'NittanyScientific' - now out ofbusiness
OrionMicrosytems:NEC4WIN MININEC Software'NEC4WIN95' - do not order fromKAGI?
SuperNEC 'SuperNEC' NEC2/UTDcombo
4NEC2 FreeNEC-2 software with excellent GUI - new web site: qsl.net/4nec2
NEC2++ from Tim Molteno (discussionforum)
AutoEZ,TLDetails&MoxGen by Dan Maguire AC6LA
MMANAFreesoftware based on MININEC from DL2KQ-EU1TT
CocoaNECFreeNEC software for the Mac OS-X Tiger operating system by W7AY
OtherMOM-based Software Providers:
WIPL-DMethod of Moments software
ANSYSDesigner 2D+Code for Patch Antenna Design (FreeStudentVersion - no longer available)
MentorGraphics Software (was IE3D) 2D+Code for Patch Antenna Design
AntennaDesign Freeware fromMeyers Engineering
MOMICMethod of Moments Interactive Code - notavailable?
NEC-BSCNEC Basic Scattering Code, ESP -Electromagnetic Surface Patch Code andothers(Ohio State)
YagiCAD6.2.0freeYagi-specific Windows software by VK3DIP
YagiModeler Applet online applet tosimulate Yagis by W9CF
FEA-basedSoftware Vendors:
ANSYSHFSS3D Antenna Structure Simulator
AntennaStructural Analysis Software:
NEC/MININECOrganizations and Resources:
The(Unofficial) NEC Archives(WB6TPU) FreeSoftware!
NEC-2informationUsers Manual for NEC and other information
L.B.Cebik'sAntennaSite (W4RNL) Hundreds ofAntenna Articles!
Other RFand Antenna Software
(links updated 18 Feb 2013)
Learn HowAntennas Work!
LinearDipole - set length to 0.5(half-wavelength dipole) and notice that theimpedance is near 73 ohms. Radiation pattern shown is typicalfigure-8pattern. When a half-wave dipole is close to ground, the impedance isloweredto near 50 ohms. Thus a perfect match to 50 ohm cable.
-set lengthto 1.27 wavelength. This is called an Extended Double Zeppantenna and produces the maximum gain possible from a simple center-feddipole. Notice that the radiation resistance (impedance) is about 90ohms. This antenna can be matched to 50 ohms by using a seriesinductor.Half of this antenna is 5/8 wave and is a common length for 2m mobileantennas.The 5/8 wave antenna is typically fed against a ground plane (car roof)andis usually matched with a tapped inductor.
-set lengthof dipole to multiples of 1/4 wave on each side (e.g. 0.5, 1.5,2.5, etc.). Notice how these lengths produce an radiationresistance(impedance) close to 100 ohms. The patterns of these are madeup ofmany lobes (cloverleaf pattern).
How doantennas produce gain?
dB,dBi, dBd What is dBi? What is dBd? What is an isotropicradiator? Part 1 in a series from LB Cebik W4RNL
Wheredoesthe gain come from? Part 3 in a series from LB Cebik W4RNL
updated 17 Jan 2006
LincolnAmateur Radio Club Antenna Class
Links to Software and other information
4NEC2 FreeNEC-2 software with excellent GUI
AgilentAppCAD Transmission Lines and more
MIMPMotorola Impedance Matching Program (select zip file and download)
NECUser Guides (HTML &PDF)
SmithChartresources (articles, softwareand charts)
AntennaModelingSoftwarefrom Dan Maguire AC6LA (MultiNEC, Moxon generator, TLDetails, etc.)
KB0YKI'sRadio Zone (onlineJ-Pole Designer, online Yagi Designer, the 'Copper Cactus' doubleJ-Pole)
PCAAD2.1 Software to helpdesign wire, horn and patch antennas - by Dave Pozar
updated 10-21-16
LPCAD - Log Periodic CAD
Now availablefor Windows 7 and 8!
LPCAD version 3.4 is nowavailable! LPCAD 3.4runs fine underWindows 2000, XP, Vista and Windows 7. Please emailme at rgcox2 (at) gmail.com for details.
updated 17July 2015
NEC ModelLibrary
The following files and links point to NEC/AO/YO models of various Hamantennasthat I have simulated and/or tested over the past 30 years as anantennadesigner. The NEC files may be used with any of the NEC-2 or NEC-4programssuch as 4NEC2, GNEC or cocoaNEC, however some of them with taperedelementsmay only be simulated accurately by NEC-4 or other MININEC-basedsoftware.These models will indicate in the CM lines if they need to use NEC-4 or4NEC2.These models have varying degrees of accuracy. Some may be very closetoactual performance. Others may only be an estimate. They are for you,asthe experimenter, to use and improve. This list will grow asI checkeach file before uploading, so check back often. Have fun!
Links:
W3LPLYagi Designs for 40,20, 15 and 10m
VHF NECModels:
28DX a 13.4 dBi low backlobe Yagi for 144.2 on a 12' 6' boom
215DXa 16.35 dBi low backlobe high-performance Yagi for 144.2 MHz (metricdimensions)
216CP (AO file) a very experimental RHCP 2m beam with 12.3 dBicgain and single point feed
216CP(NEC file) - updated 2-4-06 - improved axial ratio & VSWR
23DFa 3 element Yagi for 2m Foxhunting (7.7 dBi & 40 dB F/B)
25FBa 5 element 4' 4' boom Yagi for 2m Foxhunting (9.4 dBi& 34 dB F/B)
26FB a 6 element 6' 6' boom Yagi for 2m Foxhunting (10.4dBi & 34 dB F/B)
27FB a 7 element 8' 6' boom Yagi for 2m Foxhunting (11dBi & 36 dB F/B)
6m_3el_yagi an8.1 dBi low backlobe Yagi for 50.1 on a 6' boom
6m_4el_yagi a9.8 dBi Yagi for 50.1 on a 12' 6' boom (use in 4NEC2)
6m_moxona 6.2 dBi 'Moxon rectangle' for 50.1 MHz
- LP50-108-16(NEC file) a Log-Periodic Dipole Array for 50-108 MHz, 8 dBi, 30 dB F/Ron 6m, 12' boom
The VHF antennas shown above include the 'raw' element lengths. Thatis, the element lengths are those used with a wood or plastic(dielectric)boom or supported above or below a metal boom with an large insulator.Toconvert these raw lengths into actual lengths used when passed throughthecenter of metal booms, you need to add a correction factor, based onwhetherthe element is insulated and passes through the center of a metal boom,oris shorted directly to the metal boom with a clamp.
If theelement is insulated when it passes through the metal boom, thecorrectionfactor is approximately 1/4 the diameter of the boom. Forexample,for a 36' (raw length) insulated element passed through the center of a1'metal boom, the correction factor is 0.25', so the actual length shouldbe36.25' when built.
(updated 16 July 2013)
Commentsare welcome!
contactRoger: email to
rgcox2(at) gmail.com
Roger Cox - Spring Lake, MI
Antenna Modeling Software Free Mac Software
The W8IOAntenna Site -YAGiosoftware
(23 March 2016)
YAGio - Yagi Design by W8IO
YAGio 1.01 is themost current released version. YAGio runs underWindows 2000, XP, Vista, Win 7 and likely Win 8. YAGio is similar to LPCAD, it uses keyboard commands insteadof amouse menu. YAGio allows you to create DL6WU long Yagi antennas on anyfrequency, typically on VHF and UHF ham frequencies. You specify thefrequency, desired gain, type of element to boom mounting, DE diameterand parasitic element diameter, and YAGio does the rest. Youcan save these designs in 5 different formats - YIO (used by YAGio),NEC (used by 4NEC2), YAG (YO), MMA (MMANA-GAL) and YC6 (usedby YagiCAD). You can alsoprint the results to your Windows default printer. Please emailme at rgcox2 (at) gmail.com if you find bugs or to suggestimprovements. YAGio.exe version 1.01 was created on 6-10-2015 at 12:39pm. The exe file size is 221K. You may downloadYAGio101.ZIP here.
I am currently working on YAGio 1.02. I will also add file export support for4 bay NEC models.
Ilike to use 4NEC2to evaluate my Yagi models. It is a very nice,full featured version of NEC2. You can find the latestversion of4NEC2 here:You can also find a fasterNEC2 'engine' for 4NEC2. (web site currently unavailable) TheNEC2/MP'engine' will speed up computation tremendously in dual and quad corePC's. A modelthat took 60 seconds to run in 4NEC2's existing computation engineshould complete under 25 seconds using the NEC2/MP engine in a dualcore CPU and under 12 seconds in a quad core CPU.
Here are a couple screen shots from YAGio 1.0 running in Win 7:NEC Software for Yagi Design
Antenna Modeling Software Free Mac Os
| Software / Version / Author | Type of Yagi Design | Input/Open/Import File Formats | Save/Export File Formats | Price |
| 4NEC2 version 5.8.14 Arie Voors | includes sample Yagi and other antenna files, full pattern and gain analysis | .nec .ez (EZNEC) .ant (AO) | .nec .txt | Free |
| EZNEC version 5 Roy Lewallen W7EL | includes sample Yagi and other antenna files, full pattern and gain analysis | .ez (EZNEC) .en | .ez | EZNEC v. 5 ($89) EZNEC+ v.5 ($139) EZNEC Pro/2 v.5 ($500) |
| AutoEZ Demo 2.0.10 Dan Maguire AC6LA | - | .weq (AutoEZ) .ez (EZNEC) .nec .ant (AO) .inp .maa (MMANA-GAL) | .weq (AutoEZ) .ez (EZNEC) | Demo - Free full version - $79 |
| YagiCAD 6.2.0 Paul McMahon VK3DIP | includes sample Yagifiles, full pattern and gain analysis | .yc6 (YagiCAD) .yag (YagiCAD) | .yc6 (YagiCAD) .nec .nec (4NEC2) .txt | Free |
| YW- Yagi for Windows 2.0 Dean Straw N6BV | unable to open filesunless moved to new directory | .yw (Yagi forWindows) .yag (YO) | .yw (Yagi forWindows) | includedin ARRL Antenna Handbook |
| Yagi Calculator 2.6.10 John Drew VK5DJ | DL6WU long boom Yagi creation | no file import | .yag (YO) .maa (MMANA-GAL) | Free |
| YAGio 1.01 Roger Cox W8IO | DL6WU long boom Yagi creation | .yio (YAGio) | .nec (4NEC2, EZNEC) .yc6 (YagiCAD) .yag (YO) .maa (MMANA-GAL) | Free |
| CocoaNEC 2.0 Kok Chen W7AY | - | .nec | ? | Free (Mac OS-X version of NEC) |
| MMANA-GAL | - | ? | ? | ? |
| NEC2GO | - | .nec | .nec | $39.95 |
Note: K6STI's AO and YOsoftware no longer available. His older versions will not work inWindows 7 and 8 unless DOSBox is also used.
Commentsare welcome!
contactRoger: email to
rgcox2(at) gmail.com
Roger Cox W8IO - SpringLake, MI