A Low-Cost Flat Panal 4-Arm Curl Antenna Array for Emergency GEO Satellite Communication

A 1x3 array consist of 4-arm curl antenna elements is presented in this paper. This array is capable of beam steering to θ = 70° in all azimuth directions. The proposed 4-arm curl antenna array has been designed for L-Band (1.518 - 1.675 GHz) with a RHCP radiation to primarily target the Inmarsat BGAN. An HIS has been implemented to reduce the height of the antenna by > 50% over previous designs. Compared to a traditional patch antenna array system, the proposed 1x3 array system can reduce the number of feeding network components by 40%. This compact, low-cost array design will allow for an affordable mass deployable system for emergency services and other areas where communication in all locations is vital.