In an antenna system for radio signals in at least two spaced-apart
frequency bands above 200 MHz, a quadrifilar helical antenna having an
elongate dielectric core with a relative dielectric constant greater than
5 has a conductive sleeve surrounding a proximal part of the core and a
longitudinal feeder structure extending through the core to a connection
with the helical antenna elements at a distal end of the core. The antenna
is operated in an upper frequency band in which it exhibits a first mode
of resonance characterized by current maxima at the connections of the
helical elements to the feeder structure and at their junctions with the
rim of the sleeve, and in a lower frequency band in which the antenna
exhibits a second mode of resonance characterized by current minima in the
region of the junctions of the helical elements and the sleeve rim. To
permit dual mode operation, the antenna system includes an
impedance-matching diplexer having filters coupled between a common port
for the antenna and further ports for connection to radio signal
processing equipment such as a GPS receiver and a mobile telephone
operating in the two frequency bands. In the preferred embodiment, the
filters and impedance matching elements are formed as microstrip elements
on a single substrate.