Mmana-gal Antenna Files May 2026

Poor ground settings ruin simulations. For free space, choose Ground: None. For real-world, go to Ground tab and select Real Ground (conductivity 0.005 S/m, permittivity 13 for average soil).

If you are building a library, look for these specific high-performance files:

This blog post introduces MMANA-GAL, a free and powerful antenna simulation tool for radio enthusiasts. It covers the basics of using the software and how to manage its specific .maa file format.

Mastering Antenna Simulation: A Guide to MMANA-GAL and .maa Files

For any ham radio operator or antenna experimenter, the bridge between a theoretical design and a working physical antenna is often modeling. MMANA-GAL is one of the most popular free tools for this, using a numerical electromagnetic code engine to simulate real-world performance. What are MMANA-GAL Files?

Antenna designs in this software are saved with the .maa extension. These files contain: Geometry Data: The physical coordinates ( ) of every wire in your antenna. mmana-gal antenna files

Source Information: Where the power is fed into the antenna.

Frequency & Ground Settings: The specific environment (height above ground, soil conductivity) for which the antenna is optimized. Why Use Them?

Instead of cutting wire and hoping for the best, you can use .maa files to:

Visualize Radiation Patterns: View 3D plots of where your signal is actually going.

Optimize for DX: Adjust the height or wire length in the software to minimize SWR and maximize gain before you even pick up a soldering iron. Poor ground settings ruin simulations

Compare Designs: Load different files to see how a standard dipole stacks up against an inverted V or a Moxon beam. Getting Started with .maa Files

Open an Existing Model: Most installations come with a library of HF and VHF designs. Go to File > Open (*.maa) and navigate to the /ANT/ folder to try a basic 20m dipole.

Run the Calculation: Hit the Calculate tab and press Start. The software will instantly give you the SWR and impedance for your chosen frequency.

Find Community Files: You don't have to start from scratch. Many enthusiasts share their custom designs on platforms like MMANA-Gal Antenna Modeling Blog or GitHub , where you can find everything from MagLoops to Yagis. Pro Tip: Copy-Pasting Definitions

If you find an antenna definition online as text, you can often go to Edit > Antenna definition edit in MMANA-GAL and paste the code directly to load the model without needing to download a physical file. Introduction to Antenna Modelling - MMANA-GAL This blog post introduces MMANA-GAL , a free

Launch MMANA-GAL → File → New. Enter a descriptive name (e.g., 3el_10m_yagi.maa).

In the context of MMANA-GAL, a "full feature" file usually implies a model that includes more than just the radiating elements. A complete file should have:

Switch to the Wires tab. Each row represents one straight wire segment. Enter:

Go to Source tab.

Cause: Two wires cross without a connection. Solution: In the .maa file, ensure intersecting wires share an endpoint exactly (e.g., Wire 1 ends at 0,0,5 and Wire 2 starts at 0,0,5).

A messy Downloads folder is a creativity killer. Here is a recommended folder structure for your antenna files:

Mmana-gal_Antennas/
├── HF_Bands/
│   ├── 160m_80m/
│   ├── 40m_20m/
│   └── 15m_10m/
├── VHF_UHF/
│   ├── 6m_2m/
│   ├── 70cm_23cm/
│   └── LFA_Yagis/
├── Portable/
│   ├── Magnetic_Loops/
│   └── End_Fed_Half_Wave/
├── Receiving/
│   └── Beverage_Flags/
└── Optimized_With_GAL/
    └── (Files modified by genetic algorithm)

Name your files descriptively: 3el_50MHz_6.5m_boom_optimized.maa is far superior to yagi1.maa.