Surface Mount Antennas
Posted on October 21, 2011
It’s chilly out there, and dark, but I went out to study the antenna system mounted on my auto. There is a whip antenna 28″ in length which cannot be telescoped to any other length, mounted at the front center of the roof right at the front windshield and laying back at about a 33-degree angle.
Right at the foot of the antenna, embedded in the windshield, is a fine mesh about 1.5′ wide X 2.5″ vertical, which I assume is part of an embedded antenna.
The rear window has horizontal wires embedded in the window about 1.5″ apart, which I assume are heating elements.
What do you know about embedded (surface mount) antennas?
IMPORTANT EXPLANATION – Now that I think about it ALL antennas are “surface mounted,” so let me explain what I am talking about here…… a “flat” mount antenna that lays flat on the surface and does not protrude; an antenna that in essence IS the surface, or is part of the surface.
Think PZM microphone. “Pressure Zone.”
EDITOR FOUND SOMETHING: I did a quick search and found reference to Fresnel Zone Antennas. Look at this interesting clue from the Wikipedia item:
An offset Fresnel zoneplate can be flush mounted to the wall or roof of a building, printed on a window, or made conformal to the body of a vehicle.
