Inflatable antenna system

An inflatable antenna system comprising:

• a) a mounting plate, said mounting plate containing a first side and a second side;
• b) an inflatable antenna member coupled to said first side of said mounting plate, said inflatable antenna member containing a plurality of conductors coupled to said inflatable antenna member for the purpose of meeting antenna topology requirements and providing high quality at the spectrum of operation of the inflatable antenna system;
• c) an air intake valve coupled to said inflatable antenna member for the purpose of allowing inflation and deflation of said inflatable antenna member;
• d) one or more inflatable support members coupled to said second side of said mounting plate for the purpose of supporting the inflatable antenna system when deployed in water;
• and
• e) a radio frequency connector coupled to said mounting plate for the purpose of providing feed to said plurality of conductors through an impedance matching network.

A method of making an inflatable antenna system comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a mounting plate,
• b) providing an inflatable antenna member that can be coupled to said mounting plate, said inflatable antenna member containing a plurality of conductors coupled to said inflatable antenna member for the purpose of meeting antenna topology requirements and providing high quality at the spectrum of operation of the inflatable antenna system;
• c) coupling said inflatable antenna member to said mounting plate;
• d) providing an air intake valve that can be coupled to said mounting plate for the purpose of allowing inflation and deflation of said inflatable antenna member;
• e) coupling said air intake valve to said mounting plate;
• f) providing a radio frequency connector that can be coupled to said mounting plate for the purpose of providing feed to said plurality of conductors through an impedance matching network;
• and
• g) coupling said radio frequency connector to said mounting plate.