Size Reduced Multi-Band Printed Quadrifilar Helical Antenna

A simple and innovative method for designing a spiral folded printed quadrifilar helix antenna (S-FPQHA) for dual-band operations is presented. The axial length of a conventional PQHA is miniaturized of about 43% by meandering and turning the helix arms into the form of square spirals. Parametric studies are performed to explore the performance improvements. Based on the studies a dual band antenna working in L1/L5 GPS application is realized with a good gain and a good circular polarization. Measured results are presented to validate the concept.