In a dielectrically-loaded quadrifilar antenna for operation with
circularly polarised signals, four coextensive composite helical elements
are plated on the outer surface of a cylindrical dielectric core, each
composite element comprising two mutually adjacent conductive tracks
defining between them an elongate channel or slit. The track edges
bounding each channel are longer than the opposite edges of the
respective tracks in that they follow parallel meandered paths, with the
result that each channel deviates from a mean helical path and is longer
than the corresponding portion of the mean helical path. At a frequency
within the operating band of the antenna, the channels have respective
electrical lengths equivalent to a half wavelength. The bandwidth of the
antenna is greater than the bandwidth of a correspondingly dimensioned
antenna having single-track helical elements.