Low Cost Satellite Antenna for Maritime Voice and Data Services Huges Network Systems Sponsor: Bill

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Low Cost Satellite Antenna for Maritime Voice and
Data ServicesHuges Network SystemsSponsor Bill
Whitmarsh

• Sophisticated satellite tracking antennas are
  used on board commercial ships to support voice
  and data services. These typically cost thousands
  of dollars. It is also possible to purchase small
  satellite phones that work on the Iridium or
  Globalstar systems. Unfortunately, these support
  only low data rates. The aim of this project will
  be to prototype a low cost satellite antenna that
  supports data rates of gt100kbps using the
  Inmarsat I4 satellites. A focus of the project
  will be to prove that such an antenna is possible
  at a cost of lt150.
• This will allow a solution for a Voice/Data
  terminal that supports relatively high speed
  internet access from small vessels, such as
  leisure boats, small coastal vessels, fishing
  fleet etc.
• The design concept will be a set of patch
  antennas that sit in a ring, with switches that
  allow selection of the appropriate antenna
  element depending on the signal strength being
  received. This concept is shown below

Operation of the antenna will be at L-band (1525
to 1665MHz). Activities on the project will
include design and assembly of the patch
antennas, design of a low loss L band switching
function to select elements, design of a receiver
and design of a controller to select antenna
elements in a simulated small vessel environment.