First resonate a short antenna, then impedance match it ?

You can't make a short antenna resonate in the proper way (even though many people say otherwise), but with the help of a matching circuit you can match the impedance of a short antenna to a desired impedance.
A short antenna usually has a high impedance, narrow bandwidth, parameters which require complex matching networks reducing the overall efficiency.

kellogs said:

Or incorporate the reactive resonator component (one capacitor or one inductor) into the impedance matching network, any difference besides lower component count ?

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Yeah, incorporating the reactive resonator into the matching network can reduce component count, but it might also affect bandwidth, Q factor, and overall tuning flexibility. Depending on the design, it could simplify things or make adjustments trickier. Gotta check how it impacts performance in your specific case!

The impedance of an electrical short antenna is always capacitive with a small real radiation resistance. A matching network must compensate the capacitive component by an inductor in any case. In so far a series inductor + ideal transformer can be considered as simple matching network model with optimal Q. (I'm not considering intentional lossy networks). If actual implementation will use LC network, there's a tradeoff between extra Q, component count and extra losses due to component ESR.

To answer the original question, if you have no ideal transformer available, you'll pull the series L into the LC matching network.

austinmariam said:

Yeah, incorporating the reactive resonator into the matching network can reduce component count, but it might also affect bandwidth,

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So then, the more discrete components, the more BW, how does it work ?

FvM said:

The impedance of an electrical short antenna is always capacitive with a small real radiation resistance.

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How about a small loop, doesn't that get resonated by a feedpoint capacitor ?

kellogs said:

So then, the more discrete components, the more BW, how does it work ?

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No. According to antenna theory, lossless electrical small antennas have a minimal Q/maximal bandwidth limit depending on antenna size to wavelength ratio that can't be exceeded.

kellogs said:

How about a small loop, doesn't that get resonated by a feedpoint capacitor ?

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Are you asking about magnetic (loop) antenna or loop as matching element?

he feedline is connected to the bottomof the loop. Dimensions are not particularly critical, provided it ispossible to bring the loop to resonance on all operating frequencies with the variable capacitor used.

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