A study of the radiation pattern of a GPS antenna on several vehicle platforms

This paper studies the radiation pattern of a global positioning system (GPS) antenna on a ground plane and five distinct vehicle platforms. The antenna was mounted under the instrument panel (IP) in all vehicle platforms. Vehicle-level radiation pattern of a GPS antenna is measured on the five vehicle platforms in an automotive antenna range. Results are presented to show the impact of the vehicle platform on the GPS antenna radiation pattern. Vehicle-level antenna radiation patterns are compared to the radiation pattern of the same antenna on a ground-plane.