Design of a Novel Broadband Skeletal Discone Antenna With a Compact Configuration

A novel broadband skeletal discone antenna with a compact configuration is proposed in this letter. The antenna consists of three components including a circular metal disc, a small upside-down cone, and a skeletal cone. The operating principle of this antenna is investigated by simulation, and the corresponding simulated results are also demonstrated in this letter. According to the simulation, the antenna was fabricated and followed by the measurement. The comparison between the simulated and measured results is made for validating the design strategy. Although some discrepancies can be obviously found at some discrete frequencies, both the simulated and measured results indicate that this antenna is capable of operating in the frequency range of 400 MHz to almost 16.4 GHz with VSWR below 2.5, while maintaining stable omnidirectional radiation. Meanwhile, this antenna also has a distinct advantage over the traditional discone antenna for its compact configuration, which makes it a more competitive candidate for applications as wireless communication.