AN IMPROVED PORTABLE ANTENNA

摘要

Typically at least one soldier of a unit on patrol carries a radio with antenna to enable communication with a base. The antenna is mounted to the soldier's rucksack (100) to keep the soldier's hands free. The antenna's radial members are unwieldy and liable to snag on passing objects which can lead to the antenna breaking. The antenna also makes the solider more conspicuous to the enemy. To prevent this, the antenna can be dismantled when not in use though this is time consuming. This problem is solved by providing an antenna with a housing (7) in which the antenna is held when not in use, and a mechanism (17) to cause the antenna to pop-up from, and sit on top of, the housing when it is to be used. The mechanism also functions to collapse the antenna into the housing when not in use.