Horizontally polarized antenna array having extended E-plane beam width and method for accomplishing beam width extension

A composite antenna array comprising:

• a vertically polarized antenna array including a plurality of vertically polarized antennas mounted to a conductive means forming a ground plane, the vertically polarized antennas sharing a common first orientation;
• a horizontally polarized antenna array including a plurality of subarrays, with each of the subarrays comprising:
• a driven dipole element mounted to the conductive means forming the ground plane, the driven dipole element having opposing arms inclined toward the ground plane to form an angle therebetween;
• a pair of collinear parasitic dipole elements disposed on opposite ends of the driven dipole element, the parasitic dipole elements having arms toward the ground plane such that the opposing arms of each parasitic dipole element are perpendicular to one another;
• and
• the driven dipole element and the parasitic dipole elements sharing a common second orientation orthogonal with said first orientation.

A method for extending 3 dB E-plane beam width of a horizontally polarized antenna array, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) mounting a driven dipole element to a conductive means forming a ground plane, the dipole element having opposing arms forming an angle therebetween;
• (b) disposing a pair of collinear parasitic dipole elements on opposite ends of the driven dipole element, the parasitic dipole elements having opposing arms inclined toward the ground plane such that the opposing arms of each parasitic dipole element are perpendicular to one another;
• and
• (c) decreasing the angle between the opposing arms of the driven dipole element to extend 3 dB E-plane beam width of the antenna array while controlling mutual coupling.