Automotive Antenna Performance and Simulation

A novel antenna installed under an aperture in the roof of a sports utility vehicle below a plastic panel akin to a sun roof slot is presented. It provides an alternative location for antenna placement on a vehicle. The antenna measures 88.2cm x 18.5cm and is highly suited for placement in a limited size vehicle roof aperture. It has seven feeds and is capable of covering simultaneous operation of the following communications systems; FM, AM, TV, TMC and DAB audio reception. Two extra antenna elements/feeds are used for diversity reception purposes. A comparison of measurements and simulations of the proposed antenna system was carried out at 100MHz. Simulated performance of the antenna system are shown for 200MHz and 450-800 MHz