What is the Advantage and Disadvantage of Quadrifilar Helix Antenna

Antenna is a device that receives or transmits radio waves effectively. A helical antenna is a kind of antenna that includes a helical radiating element. This antenna is used at both UHF and VHF frequencies where circular polarization is an important thing. This blog explains the Helical Antenna in detail with its features, benefits, and disadvantages.

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What is a Helical Antenna?

A helical antenna is developed with the help of conducting wire-wound in a helical structure form. This antenna is used in ultra-high frequencies. Apart from that, the helical antenna also has some different features such as circular polarization and high gain.

Normally, the frequency range of this antenna is between 30MHz and 3GHz. It is widely used in many applications such as wireless networking, radio astronomy, and satellite communication.

Features of Helical Antenna

We discussed what is helical Antenna in the above section. Now, let us discuss some of the best features of this antenna in the below section:

• This is a simple kind of antenna used for circular polarization.
• If the axial ratio is one in the helical antenna, circular polarization will occur.
• This antenna is used in various bands like UHF and VHF.
• If the axial mode is zero in this antenna, linear horizontal polarization will occur.
• The helical antenna has a simple design and includes maximum directivity.
• This antenna is widely used in axial mode.
• If the axial ratio is infinite in the helical antenna, linear vertical polarization will occur.

Advantages of Helical Antenna

A helical antenna is a very simple antenna that contains a helical radiating element. Now, we will further discuss the major benefits of a helical antenna in the following section:

• A major advantage of a helical Antenna is its simple design and high directivity.
• It has a wide bandwidth and includes a circular polarization.
• Helical antennas have a solid construction and are developed of fine quality materials.
• This antenna is used in both UHF and VHF bands.
• When the antenna uses a circularly polarized pattern, it is acceptable through vertical as well as horizontally polarized antenna types.
• This antenna is normally used in broadband applications because of the wider bandwidth.

Disadvantages of Helical Antenna

Just like benefits, the helical antenna has many disadvantages such as:

• This helical antenna needs more space for installation and set-up.
• It is larger than other kinds of antennas which makes it difficult to use indoors.
• The efficiency of this antenna reduces with the increasing number of turns.
• A helical antenna is expensive and not suitable for users with limited capital.

Design of a Helical Antenna

A helical antenna is developed with the help of conducting wire-like thick copper wire wound in a helical form. It is connected to the ground plate via a feeder line. The simple design of a helical antenna offers waves that are polarized circularly. For this reason, the helical antenna is widely used in various communication-based applications where satellite relays are involved.

Helical antennas operate in 2 modes where the deciding factor is the diameter of the helix and spacing between 2 consecutive spins. The radiation of this antenna depends on the turn spacing, pitch angle, and diameter. The pitch angle is the existing angle between a line tangent to the helix wire and a plane normal to the helix axis.

How Does a Helical Antenna Work?

The current supplies in the conducting wire as the conductive wire in a helical antenna is excited through a coaxial cable or 2-wire transmission line. It causes the field lines generation and emission of radiations. This antenna might emit in various modes. The operation modes of a helical antenna are axial mode and normal mode. Now, let us discuss both the modes in detail in this section:

• Normal Mode

  In the normal mode, both the diameter and pitch of a helical antenna are small as compared to the wavelength. The operation is analogous to the monopole or electrical short dipole. In normal mode radiation, the field of radiation is normal to the helical antenna, and the radiated signals are polarized circularly.

  In addition, the normal mode has a narrow bandwidth and low efficiency. Because of these features, the antenna is widely used for UHF TV broadcasting antenna and mobile radios. The radiation pattern in a helical antenna is the combination of short dipole and loop antennas.

  The radiation pattern of an antenna in the normal mode depends on the turn spacing and diameter values. However, the normal mode operation is not used often because of a narrow bandwidth and low radiation efficiency.

• Axial mode

  In axial mode, the diameter and pitch of a helical antenna are similar to wavelength. It works similarly to a directional antenna. This mode does not have a simple solution to decide the radiation properties. It is widely used in satellite communication systems and earth-based stations.

Where is a Helical Antenna Mostly Used?

A helical antenna is widely used in many applications such as:

• Satellite and space probe communication because of their circular polarization of the transmitter electromagnetic waves.
• It is used in several satellites such as weather and data relay.
• This helical antenna is used through ballistic missiles for telemetry links.
• It is used at various Earth stations for satellites.
• You can use a helical antenna to receive and transmit VHF signals.
• This antenna is widely used in various communications like space telemetry, space, satellite, and radio astronomy.
• You can establish communication between the Earth and the moon through a helical antenna.

Final Words

This is all about a helical antenna, its features, benefits, and disadvantages. You can get the best helical antenna from the manufacturers online by filling out the online form. Look at the different quotes and compare the prices of the various products.

A helical antenna is available in different sizes as per the needs of the customers. You can choose the affordable antenna for your need from online websites.

Nowadays, the field of GPS applications is growing rapidly all over the world. Helix and Patch antennas are well-known wireless antennas that are mostly used in GPS applications. If you want to explore these two antennas, then here we have provided you with a detailed overview of these antennas, including the difference between helix antenna and  patch antenna and their benefits.

What is a Helix Antenna?

A helix antenna is one of the simplest types of antenna. It is typically used to interact with UHF and VHF antenna frequency ranges. Helix antennas are named after their helix shape which gives them a unique look from other antennas. These are omnidirectional antennas that share and receive signals from all directions. That means users can integrate these wireless solutions for indoor and outdoor purposes.

Benefits of Helix Antenna

Helix antennas provide many benefits to their users. They have features like wide bandwidth, and circular polarization that make them a great option to integrate into various applications. Helix antennas have the following advantages:

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Used With or Without Ground Plane

You can use a Quadrifilar helix antenna with or without ground planes, depending on your requirements. If you want better circular polarization and a broader beamwidth, you can use it without ground planes. On the other hand, if you are looking to improve signal strength and enhance directivity and gain, then in this situation you can attach a ground plane to it.

Suitable For External Or Internal Use

Helix antennas are omnidirectional antennas that provide you with the facilities to use them for communicating signals from all directions. They can be used in diverse environments, both external and internal, and also ensure reliable performance in all conditions. 

Gives Higher Gain

Helix antennas provide higher gain capability than patch antennas. That means it can transmit or receive signals more effectively in a specific direction. These can be used for both VHF and UHF frequency ranges and provide higher directivity than other antennas.

Simple Design

Helix antennas come with an easy design. Engineers can easily design these antennas by using a few components. Aside from that, these antennas are also easy to install for both outdoor and indoor purposes.

What is a Patch Antenna?

Patch antenna or Microstrip patch antenna is a crucial antenna in this modern world. It has a metal patch on top of a dielectric layer, with a ground plane underneath. The metal patch helps in signal sharing and transmitting, and the ground plane is responsible for enhancing the effectiveness of the entire antenna.

Patch antennas are low-profile antennas, but their performance is excellent despite their small physical size. It comes in various shapes and sizes, including rectangular, circular, triangle, etc. That ensures the specific requirements of users and facilitates the ability to mount them over flat surfaces like roofs, walls, poles, vehicles, and ceilings.

Benefits of Patch Antenna

These antennas have many advantages because of their unique features, such as low profile, versatility, and size diversity. Let’s discuss some of the major benefits in this section:

Compact and Lightweight

Patch antennas are lightweight and compact, helping you install them in your small systems and devices. Their diverse shapes and sizes allow for easy integration into portable gadgets, wearables, and other electronic devices without heavy weights.

Dual and Multi-Frequency Band Support

Patch antennas support dual, triple, and multiple frequency bands. They are a better option than traditional antennas and can interact with microwave frequencies. This flexibility allows users to integrate them into modern communication systems to achieve seamless connectivity.

Linear and Circular Polarization

These antennas are a better option for sending and receiving signals with both linear and circular polarization. Taking advantage of these features will help your system effectively handle different signal types and also improve its performance in different conditions, such as indoors and outdoors.

Integration with MMIC and MICS

Patch antennas can be integrated with Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMIC) and Microwave Integrated Circuits (MICS). This integration helps users to get accessibility to advanced functionalities. That boosts overall system performance and enables sophisticated wireless communication solutions.

Difference Between Helix Antenna And Patch Antenna

Helix antennas and patch antennas are two popular antennas used in a variety of applications. Helix antennas are known for their spiral design and circular polarization, while patch antennas are flat, compact, and widely used in modern wireless devices for their ease of integration. Explore these points to understand the difference between a helix antenna and a patch antenna: 

Installation Flexibility

Helix antennas can be mounted on both the internal and external parts of the device. On the other hand, the patch antennas are used on the external part of the devices.

Signal Gain

Helix antennas provide higher gain than patch antennas. If you want a lower-gain antenna in your situation, patch antennas are a good option. The diverse size of patch antennas helps you easily fabricate them on a printed circuit board. On the other hand, you may not find it convenient to fabricate helix antennas on the circuit board due to their small size.

Signal Sensitivity

In terms of sensitivity, helix antennas show lower sensitivity than patch antennas. It is unable to detect weak signals and may ignore them during wireless communication. This is why if you want to improve the sensitivity of your antenna, turn to patch antennas for detecting weak signals.

Directionality

Helix antennas are omnidirectional, which means they can be used for sharing and receiving signals from all directions. On the other hand, patch antennas are direct and provide better support for emitting signals in one direction.

Cost Efficiency

If you want to integrate the best patch antenna into your system, then it may be costlier for you than patch antennas. Usually, helix antennas are more expensive on the market. This is why you can see helix antennas used in multiple GPS applications, whereas patch antennas are used in many portable wireless applications.

Final Words

So these are the major differences between helix antennas and patch antennas, along with their benefits. We hope this guide will help you choose the best wireless solution for you. Make sure to choose the best antennas according to your needs and budget. You can contact any reputable antenna supplier to find the best solution for you.

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