Simple tracking stacked microstrip array antenna for mobile satellite communications

In this research, a simple satellite-tracking array antenna for ETS-VIII applications that will be used for mobile satellite communications has been investigated. The analysed circularly polarised stacked antenna is constituted of four single-fed patches sequentially rotated of 90/spl deg/. By successively turning off any one of the patches, it is shown that four beams are created in the conical-cut plane at Az = 6/spl deg/, 96/spl deg/, 190/spl deg/, and 276/spl deg/. Furthermore, for an elevation El = 48/spl deg/ in Tokyo, the gain can reach more than 6.4 dBic on the whole azimuthal range.