Portable Antenna

An antenna comprising:

• an elongated housing having an open end and an opposing end defining an interior chamber therebetween,
• a flexible antenna,
• a telescoping mast having a carrier attached at a first end, a second end of said mast being attached to said antenna, said carrier being slidably received in said housing chamber and movable between a storage position in which said carrier and said antenna are contained in said interior chamber and said carrier is positioned adjacent the opposing end of said housing chamber and said mast is in a collapsed position, and a deployed position in which said carrier is positioned adjacent said open end of said housing and said mast protrudes outwardly from said housing in an extended position and said antenna is positioned exteriorly of said housing,
• a spring positioned between said carrier and said housing which urges said carrier towards said deployed position,
• a catch mechanism which selectively holds said carrier in said stored position and said spring in a state of compression, and
• a hand grip attached to and extending from the housing for a holder to grasp, and said catch mechanism comprises a trigger positioned proximate to the hand grip, which, when depressed by the holder's finger, releases the catch mechanism to operatively deploy the flexible antenna.

A handheld deployable antenna comprising:

• an elongated housing having an open end and a closed end defining an interior chamber therebetween,
• a foldable flexible antenna having a conical shape when unfolded,
• a telescoping mast having a carrier attached at a first end, a second end of said mast being attached to said antenna, said carrier being slidably received in said housing chamber and movable between a storage position in which said carrier and said antenna in a folded state are contained in said interior chamber and said carrier is positioned adjacent the closed end of said housing chamber and said mast is in a collapsed position, and a deployed position in which said carrier is positioned adjacent said open end of said housing and said mast protrudes outwardly from said housing in an extended position and said antenna is positioned exteriorly of said housing in an unfolded state,
• a plurality of spar having two ends, one end pivotally attached to said carrier and other end attached to said antenna at spaced positions,
• a guide plate attached to said housing adjacent said first end, said guide plate having a plurality of holes, said spars each extending through one associated hole in said guide plate, wherein said guide plate holes are positioned so that, as said carrier moves to said deployed position, said spars flare outwardly from said open end of said housing,
• a spring positioned near the closed end of said housing which urges said carrier towards said deployed position,
• a handle having a pistol grip attached to and extending from the housing near its closed end for a holder to grasp, and
• a catch mechanism which selectively holds said carrier in said stored position and said spring in a state of compression, said catch mechanism comprises a trigger positioned proximate to the handle, which, when depressed by the holder's finger, releases the catch mechanism to operatively deploy the flexible antenna in the unfolded state.