A Beginners’ Guide To Helical Antenna

What is a helical antenna?

The helical antenna is a type of antenna that can transmit and receive polarized electromagnetic signals rotating in space. Such antennas are usually used in ground stations for satellite communications. Use an unbalanced feeder, such as a coaxial cable, to connect the antenna. The center of the cable is connected to the spiral part of the antenna, and the outer sheath of the cable is connected to the reflector.

From the outside, the spiral antenna looks like a spiral installed on a flat reflective screen. The minimum size of the antenna depends on the frequency of the low-frequency signal used. If the spiral or reflector is too small, the efficiency of the antenna will be severely reduced. In the axial part of the helical antenna, the energy of the electromagnetic wave is the largest. A helical antenna is usually composed of multiple helical parts and a reflector. You can move the entire group of antennas vertically or horizontally to track a satellite at the same time. If the satellite is not in orbit, the azimuth angle of the antenna can be adjusted by the computer to track the satellite's trajectory. 

Advantages of helical antenna

The various advantages of the helical antenna are:

• These offer simple construction.
• The helical antenna exhibits highly directional behavior.
• It offers wide operating bandwidth.
• The operational frequency range is very high i.e., operates in VHF and UHF.

Disadvantages of helical antenna

The drawbacks associated with helical antennas are as follows:

• The end-fire helical antenna exhibit a large size and thus is bulky.
• The efficiency of the antenna is dependent on the number of turns, as with the increase in the number of turns, efficiency decreases.

Applications of helical antenna

The applications of helical antennas include the following.

• These antennas are applicable in satellite & space probe communications because of their circular polarization of the transmitted electromagnetic waves & maximum directivity.
• A single or array of helical antennas are used for transmitting & receiving VHF signals.
• Used for satellites at Earth stations.
• Used for telemetry links through ballistic missiles.
• Communication can be established between the moon & the earth.
• Helical antennas are used in many satellites like data relay and weather.
• This antenna is used for transmitting & receiving VHF waves, especially for ionospheric propagation.
• It is used for different communications like radio astronomy, space telemetry, satellite, and space.

Do you need a helical antenna?

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