Antenna with Integrated Balun

A tapered slot antenna (TSA) comprising:

• a dielectric bracket;
• first and second conductive blades mounted to the dielectric bracket so as to define an air gap between edges of the first and second blades thereby forming a TSA;
• and
• a balun integrated into the first blade, wherein the integrated balun comprises a center conductor electrically connected to the second blade, a dielectric surrounding the center conductor and disposed to electrically insulate the center conductor from the first blade, and wherein at a first location on the first blade the dielectric abuts a bottom edge of the first blade and over a length of the integrated balun the first blade gradually surrounds more and more of the dielectric until, at a second location on the first blade, the dielectric is completely surrounded by the first blade so as to gradually transform an unbalanced signal at the second location to a balanced signal that is characteristic of a two-conductor transmission line at the first location.

A method for providing an integrated balun into an antenna comprising the following steps:

• creating a cylindrical hole in a first antenna element from a back edge to a radiating edge;
• cutting away a portion of the first antenna element along a majority of the length of the hole along a downward-angled plane that is not parallel with the hole that intersects the radiating edge at approximately a top of the hole;
• inserting a center conductor surrounded by a dielectric through the hole such that the dielectric electrically insulates the center conductor from the first antenna element;
• and
• electrically connecting the center conductor to a second antenna element.