Patch Antenna Designs and Construction Resources
Find resources for building and understanding patch antennas, including designs for satellite communication and microwave bands.
Patch antennas, also known as microstrip antennas, are popular with hams for their compact size and versatility, especially on VHF, UHF, and microwave bands. These antennas are often used for satellite operation, weak signal work, and other specialized amateur radio activity where a small footprint and specific polarization are beneficial. Operators frequently build patch antennas for frequencies from 432 MHz up to 10 GHz and beyond.
Many hams experiment with patch antenna designs for specific projects, such as circularly polarized arrays for satellite uplinks and downlinks, or as feeds for parabolic dish antennas on the 2.4 GHz band. Resources in this category include detailed construction articles, like VK3BLG's experimental 70cm patch, and theoretical overviews explaining principles of operation, impedance matching, and radiation patterns. Online tools, such as the Microstrip Patch Antenna Calculator, help operators determine precise dimensions for their homebrew projects.
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An experimental 70 cm patch antenna project by VK3BLG, detailing construction for satellite operations and circular polarization, with VSWR under 1.1:1. -
The Patch Antenna Array was constructed and used for various satellite up and down links at my previous residence in Melbourne, Victoria from 2003 - 2007 -
Article about the microstrip antenna, which is also commonly referred to as the patch antenna. -
Microstrip Patch Antenna Calculator determines the length and width in millimeters of a rectangular patch antenna. -
Article about the microstrip patch antennas, and in particular the rectangular, single-polarization microstrip antennas, commonly abbreviated MSA. -
Using patch antenna for amateur radio reception of the 13cm band with a sample 2.4 GHz LHCP patch antenna by K3TZ -
This online microstrip patch antenna calculator determines the length and width of a microstrip patch antenna for a given frequency