Antena and Antisolder

Hello,

I have maybe a dumb question:

I have designed a dipole antenna for Energy Harvesting applications, if I add Antisolder to the PCB would I reduce the antenna performance.

Thanks

What is antisolder?

Hello,

I mean the green solder mask that covers the cooper traces.

Antisolder, that's how we call that here.

We just call it "solder mask".

For best results, do NOT put mask on the antenna, but plate it with a gold flash. However, the "antisolder" would probably have just a small effect on the antenna.

If you put the solder mask on the radiating element, the frequency band of the antenna will be lowered due to the dielectric constant of the solder mask. Furthermore a portion of the received (or transmitted) wave will be absorbed by the solder mask due to its loss tangent.
This in general, but if the frequency you are working is less than some GHz, these effects are negligible while you will benefit the protectiong action of the solder mask from the oxydation.

By the way here we call it "solder mask", but more frequently "solder resist"

Here is the problem. IF the antenna is used outdoors...then the conductor will eventually corrode, and the performance will eventually go to zero! So you might need some sort of coating. Solder mask is as good as most coatings. But if you DO add the solder mask you will add some shunt capacitance, so the physical length of the elements might have to be shortened a little for it to work centered in your frequency band.