Wideband communication antenna systems with low angle multipath suppression

An antenna system comprising:

• a plurality of sub-arrays positioned along a vertically-extending central axis, each sub-array comprising:
• (i) a first disk member including two main surfaces, a central opening and a first conductive configuration having a signal port and at least one signal access point;
• (ii) a first dipole-component configuration comprising four dipole arm members coupled to and extending in a first vertical direction away from said first disk member at positions spaced from and around said central axis;
• (iii) a second disk member including two main surfaces and a central opening and positioned with an annular space between the first and second disk members;
• (iv) a second dipole-component configuration comprising four opposed dipole arm members coupled to and extending away from said second disk member in a second vertical direction away from said first disk member;
• and
• (v) at least one signal-coupling member coupled to said at least one signal access point and extending into said annular space;
• and
• a plurality of intercoupling-reduction disks separately positioned, each between two vertically adjacent sub-arrays, and each having an annular conductive surface.

An antenna system comprising:

• a plurality of sub-arrays positioned along a vertically-extending central axis, each sub-array comprising:
• (i) a first disk member including two main surfaces, a central opening and a first conductive configuration having a four-way power divider, a signal port and four signal access points;
• (ii) a first dipole-component configuration comprising four dipole arm members coupled to and extending in a first vertical direction away from said first disk member at positions spaced from and around said central axis;
• (iii) a second disk member including two main surfaces and a central opening and positioned with an annular space between the first and second disk members;
• (iv) a second dipole-component configuration comprising four opposed dipole arm members coupled to and extending away from said second disk member in a second vertical direction away from said first disk member;
• and
• (v) at least one signal-coupling member comprising four vertical exciters, coupled to said four signal access points and extending into said annular space;
• and
• a plurality of intercoupling-reduction disks separately positioned, each between two vertically adjacent sub-arrays, and each having an annular conductive surface;
• and
• wherein, in said antenna system, said plurality of sub-arrays includes a central sub-array, a plurality of upper sub-arrays positioned above the central sub-array and a plurality of lower sub-arrays positioned below said central sub-array, with a physical inversion of each of the upper sub-arrays relative to the lower sub-arrays;
• and
• wherein said sub-arrays include seven active sub-arrays, including said central, three lower (top lower, middle lower and bottom lower) and three upper sub-arrays (top upper, middle upper and bottom upper), and additionally comprising:
• an excitation unit coupled to said signal port of each said active sub-array and arranged to couple excitation signals of the following relative phases to signal ports of those active sub-arrays:
• central sub-array, zero degrees phase,
• lower sub-arrays, plus 90 degrees phase, and
• upper sub-arrays, plus 90 degrees phase;
• said physical inversion effective to provide a 180 degree phase reversal of the radiation patterns of said upper sub-arrays relative to the radiation patterns of said lower sub-arrays.