Monopatch Antenna for Balloon Telemetry Applications

Abstract

A new antenna design, which is particularly suited for balloon telemetry applications, is presented. In the past, simple monopoles have been utilized as transmit antennas on balloon payloads. The monopole radiation pattern has an inherent null along its axis. This causes an undesirable loss of signal when the balloon is directly overhead. To prevent this occurrence, a microstrip antenna patch was incorporated into the monopole design. This combination, a "monopatch" antenna, provides sufficient coverage even when the balloon is directly over the ground station. The monopatch has been successfully flown on high altitude balloon flights.