Abstract: A dielectrically loaded quadrifilar helical antenna has four quarter turn helical elements centred on a common axis. Each helical element is metallised on the outer cylindrical surface of a solid dielectric core and each has a feed end and a linked end, the linked ends being connected together by a linking conductor encircling the core. At an operating frequency of the antenna the helical elements and the linking conductor together form two conductive loops each having an electrical length in the region of (2n?1)/2 times the wavelength, where n is an integer. Such an antenna tends to present a source impedance of at least 500 ohms to receiver circuitry to which it is connected. The invention includes an antenna assembly including a dielectrically antenna and a receiver having a radio frequency front-end stage with a differential input coupled to the feed ends of the helical elements.

Abstract: In a dielectrically-loaded quadrifilar antenna for operation with circularly polarised signals, four coextensive composite helical elements are plated on the outer surface of a cylindrical dielectric core, each composite element comprising two mutually adjacent conductive tracks defining between them an elongate channel or slit. The track edges bounding each channel are longer than the opposite edges of the respective tracks in that they follow parallel meandered paths, with the result that each channel deviates from a mean helical path and is longer than the corresponding portion of the mean helical path. At a frequency within the operating band of the antenna, the channels have respective electrical lengths equivalent to a half wavelength. The bandwidth of the antenna is greater than the bandwidth of a correspondingly dimensioned antenna having single-track helical elements.

Abstract: A unitary feed structure for sliding installation in a passage in the insulative core of a dielectrically-loaded antenna comprises the unitary combination of a tubular outer shield conductor and elongate inner conductor which extends through the shield conductor and is insulated from the latter. The shield conductor and inner conductor have oppositely directed radially extending connection members at an end of the feed structure, these connection members being integrally formed as part of the respective conductors so that the feed structure can be inserted as a unit into the passage in the antenna core so that the connection members engage respective connection portions formed on an end face of the core adjacent on end of the passage. Soldering of the connection members to the connection portions can be performed as a single operation so as to connect the feed structure to conductive antenna elements plated on the outer surface of the core.

Abstract: A dielectrically-loaded loop antenna with a cylindrical dielectric core, a feeder structure passing axially through the core, a sleeve balun encircling one end portion of the core and helical antenna elements extending from a feed connection with the feeder structure at the other end of the core to the rim of the balun. The antenna elements are arranged as a pair of laterally opposed groups of conductive elongate helical elements each having at least first and second conductive elements of different electrical lengths to form a plurality of looped conductive paths. By forming at least one of the conductive elements in each group as a conductive strip with one or both edges meandered, such that the edges of the strip are non-parallel and have different electrical lengths, additional modes of resonance arc created, yielding an improvement in bandwidth.

Abstract: In a method of producing a quadrifilar antenna for circularly polarised radiation at frequencies above 200 MHz, the antenna is tuned by coupling it to a test source, measuring the relative phases and amplitudes of currents at predetermined positions in the individual elements of the antenna by means of probes capacitively coupled to the elements, and laser etching apertures in the elements to increase their inductance, the sizes of the apertures being computed according to the deviation of the measured relative phases from predetermined values.

Abstract: A dielectrically-loaded loop antenna with a cylindrical dielectric core, a feeder structure passing axially through the core, a sleeve balun encircling one end portion of the core and helical antenna elements extending from a feed connection with the feeder structure at the other end of the core to the rim of the balun. The antenna elements are arranged as a pair of laterally opposed groups of conductive elongate helical elements each having at least first and second conductive elements of different electrical lengths to form a plurality of looped conductive paths. By forming at least one of the conductive elements in each group as a conductive strip with one or both edges meandered, such that the edges of the strip are non-parallel and have different electrical lengths, additional modes of resonance are created, yielding an improvement in bandwidth.

Abstract: A dielectric-loaded antenna having a plurality of radiating elements and a loop element plated on the surface of a cylindrical ceramic core has balanced and single-ended modes of resonance which are coupled together so as to define an operating frequency band. The two modes of resonance are associated with different respective radio frequency current patterns in the radiating elements, and the input reactance component of the load represented by the antenna at its feedpoint is substantially zero within the operating frequency band only when the corresponding input resistance component is finite and substantially non-zero.

Abstract: In a method of producing a quadrifilar antenna for circularly polarised radiation at frequencies above 200 MHz, the antenna is tuned by coupling it to a test source, measuring the relative phases and amplitudes of currents at predetermined positions in the individual elements of the antenna by means of probes capacitively coupled to the elements, and laser etching apertures in the elements to increase their inductance, the sizes of the apertures being computed according to the deviation of the measured relative phases from predetermined values.

Abstract: A dielectric-loaded antenna for circularly polarized radiation has a generally cylindrical solid dielectric body with a relative dielectric constant greater than 5, upon which body is plated a conductive sleeve encircling the body and a conductive end layer which, together with the body, form an open-ended cavity substantially filled with the ceramic material of the body. The electrical length of the cavity rim is a whole number of guide wavelengths corresponding to the antenna operating frequency less than 5 GHz. A rotating standing wave is excited around the cavity rim by a feeder structure including two helical conductor tracks on the cylindrical surface of the body which are coupled between the cavity rim and a coaxial feeder passing axially through the body.

Abstract: An antenna for use at UHF and upwards has a cylindrical ceramic core with a relative dielectric constant of at least 5. A three-dimensional radiating element structure, including helical antenna elements on the cylindrical surface of the core and connecting radial elements on a distal end face of the core, is formed by conductor tracks plated directly on the core surfaces. At the distal end face, the elements are connected to an axially located feed structure in a plated axial passage of the core. The antenna elements are grounded on a plated sleeve covering a proximal part of the core which, in conjunction with the feeder structure, forms an integral balun for matching to an unbalanced feeder. Since the ceramic core fills the major part of the interior volume defined by the radiating element structure, the antenna is very much smaller than an air-cored antenna.

Abstract: A UHF antenna has an electrically insulative cylindrical core of a solid material having a relative dielectric constant greater than 5, and a three-dimensional antenna element structure disposed on or adjacent the outer cylindrical surface of the core. The antenna element structure is coupled to a coaxial feeder passing axially through the core. To reduce the effect of unwanted resonant modes associated with the resonant length of the feeder inside the core, the core is spaced from the outer conductor of the feeder by an intervening layer of insulative material having a relative dielectric constant which is much lower that that of the core material.

Abstract: A dielectrically-loaded antenna for operation at frequencies in excess of 200 MHz includes an antenna element structure disposed on a high dielectric constant core, which element structure comprises a pair of laterally opposed groups, of helical antenna elements. Each group comprises first and second mutually adjacent elements, of different thicknesses providing looped conductive paths on the antenna, formed by the first elements of each group and the second elements of each group respectively, which resonate at differing respective resonant frequencies to yield a relatively wide operating bandwidth. The helical elements of each group define, between them, part of an elongate channel which has an overall electrical length in the region of n&lgr;/2 within the operating frequency band to provide isolation between the looped conductive paths. The major part of each such channel is located between the elements so as to minimise intrusion with other parts of the antenna.

Abstract: A dielectric-loaded loop antenna for operation at frequencies above 200 MHz has an elongate cylindrical core with a relative dielectric constant greater than 5, a pair of co-extensive helical antenna elements, a coaxial feeder structure extending through the core from a proximal end to a distal end where it is coupled to the antenna elements, and a balun formed on the core cylindrical surface and connected to the feeder structure at the proximal end of the core. Each helical antenna element is bifurcated at an intermediate position so that proximally, it is formed of two generally parallel branches each of which is coupled to a respective linking path around the core to meet a corresponding branch of the other elongate element therefore forming a conductive loop between the two conductors of the feeder structure. The two conductive loops have different electrical lengths as a result of, for example, the branches being of different lengths.

Abstract: An antenna for use at UHF and upwards has a cylindrical ceramic core with a relative dielectric constant of at least 5. A three-dimensional radiating element structure, consisting of helical antenna elements on the cylindrical surface of the core and connecting radial elements on a distal end face of the core, is formed by conductor tracks plated directly on the core surfaces. At the distal end face the elements are connected to an axially located feed structure in a plated axial passage of the core. The antenna elements are grounded on a plated sleeve covering a proximal part of the core which, in conjunction with the feeder structure, forms an integral balun for matching to an unbalanced feeder.

Abstract: In an antenna system for radio signals in at least two spaced-apart frequency bands above 200 MHz, a quadrifilar helical antenna having an elongate dielectric core with a relative dielectric constant greater than 5 has a conductive sleeve surrounding a proximal part of the core and a longitudinal feeder structure extending through the core to a connection with the helical antenna elements at a distal end of the core. The antenna is operated in an upper frequency band in which it exhibits a first mode of resonance characterized by current maxima at the connections of the helical elements to the feeder structure and at their junctions with the rim of the sleeve, and in a lower frequency band in which the antenna exhibits a second mode of resonance characterized by current minima in the region of the junctions of the helical elements and the sleeve rim.

Abstract: A miniature antenna for operation at frequencies in excess of 200 MHz has a ceramic core in the form of a cylindrical rod having a relative dielectric constant greater than 5. Plated on the outer surfaces of the core is an antenna element structure comprising a single pair of oppositely disposed helical elements having a common central axis coincident with the central axis of the core. At a distal end of the antenna, they are connected to a coaxial feeder structure passing axially through the core, and at their proximal ends they are connected to the rim of a cylindrical trap conductor which, at the proximal end of the core is coupled to the screen of the feeder structure. At the operating frequency, the antenna behaves as a loop, the radiation response having nulls directed generally perpendicularly on each side of a plane containing the central axis of the core and the connections of the 6 helical elements with the feeder structure and with the conductive sleeve.

Abstract: An antenna for use at frequencies of 200 MHz and upwards has a cylindrical ceramic core with a relative dielectric constant of at least 5, and pairs of helical elements extending from a feed point at one end of the core to the rim of a conductive sleeve adjacent the other end of the core, the sleeve acting as a trap for isolating from ground currents circulating in the helical elements. To yield helical elements of different lengths, the sleeve rim follows a locus which deviates from a plane perpendicular to the core axis in that it describes a zig-zag path. The helical elements form simple helices with approximately balanced radiation resistances.

Abstract: An antenna for use at UHF and upwards has a cylindrical ceramic core with a relative dielectric constant of at least 5. A three-dimensional radiating element structure, consisting of helical antenna elements on the cylindrical surface of the core and connecting radial elements on a distal end face of the core, is formed by conductor tracks plated directly on the core surfaces. At the distal end face the elements are connected to an axially located feed structure in a plated axial passage of the core. The antenna elements are grounded on a plated sleeve covering a proximal part of the core which, in conjunction with the feeder structure, forms an integral balun for matching to an unbalanced feeder.