A discone antenna is a version of a biconical antenna in which one of the cones is replaced by a disc. It is usually mounted vertically, with the disc at the top and the cone beneath.
Omnidirectional, vertically polarized and with gain similar to a dipole, it is exceptionally wideband, offering a frequency range ratio of up to approximately 10:1. The radiation pattern in the vertical plane is quite narrow, making its sensitivity highest in the direction of the horizon and rather less for signals coming from relatively close by.
The discone antenna has a useful frequency range of at least 10 to 1. When employed as a transmitting antenna, it is often less efficient than an antenna designed for a more limited frequency range. SWR (standing wave ratio) is typically 1.5:1 or less over several octaves of frequency. A discone antenna consists of three main parts: the disc, the cone, and the insulator.
The disc: The disc should have an overall diameter of 0.7 times a quarter wavelength of the antenna’s lowest frequency. The antenna’s feed point is at the center of the disc. It is usually fed with 50-ohm coaxial cable, with the center conductor connected to the disc, and the outer conductor to the cone.
The cone: The length of the cone should be a quarter wavelength of the antenna’s lowest operating frequency. The cone angle is generally from 25 to 40 degrees.
The insulator: The disc and cone must be separated by an insulator, the dimensions of which determine some of the antenna’s properties, especially on near its high frequency limit.
The discone antenna has a useful frequency range of at least 10 to 1. When employed as a transmitting antenna, it is often less efficient than an antenna designed for a more limited frequency range. SWR (standing wave ratio) is typically 1.5:1 or less over several octaves of frequency. A discone antenna consists of three main parts: the disc, the cone, and the insulator.
The disc: The disc should have an overall diameter of 0.7 times a quarter wavelength of the antenna’s lowest frequency. The antenna’s feed point is at the center of the disc. It is usually fed with 50-ohm coaxial cable, with the center conductor connected to the disc, and the outer conductor to the cone.
The cone: The length of the cone should be a quarter wavelength of the antenna’s lowest operating frequency. The cone angle is generally from 25 to 40 degrees.
The insulator: The disc and cone must be separated by an insulator, the dimensions of which determine some of the antenna’s properties, especially on near its high frequency limit.
Construction materials
A discone may be made from solid metal sheet (often copper), which is practical for small indoor UHF antennas, such as for Wi-Fi.
At lower frequencies a sufficient number of metal wires or rods in a spoke configuration is often used to approximate a solid surface. This simplifies construction and reduces wind loading.
Mounted discone antenna designed for VHF and UHF coverage.
The spokes may be made of stiff wire, brazing rods or even coat hanger wire.
The optimal number of rods comprising the disc and cone is often quoted as being from 8 to 16.
Applications
The discone’s wideband coverage makes it attractive in commercial, military, amateur radio and radio scanner applications.
The discone’s inherently wideband nature permits it to broadcast undesirable spurious emissions from faulty or improperly filtered transmitters.