Circular lattice design for UHF geodesic dome phased array antenna with reduced footprint

A circular planar array composed of four equilateral triangle patch antennas with a common triangular ground plane is proposed. The array is a building block for a geodesic dome phased array antenna (GDPAA) based on an icosahedron structure, primarily intended for use in the UHF amateur satellite band of 435-438 MHz. Due to the relatively long wavelength of this band, a novel design for a low-cost GDPAA with a reduced footprint is proposed. It is found that if individual elements are placed in a circular lattice, the footprint is reduced and the overall array performance and antenna isolation are improved.