Secondary lobe level control in antenna arrays

Antenna arrays are usually employed to obtain a specified radiation pattern, either omnidirecional in a plane or directional with narrow main lobe and low secondary lobe level. This article presents a solution that makes it possible to obtain, for a specified plane, secondary lobe levels smaller than those obtained with the conventional configuration in antenna arrays, showing that it is possible to have one extra degree of freedom in the geometric configuration of an antenna array, which allows us to control, in a more effective way, the array characteristic parameters. These results are of general use for several array types, including smart antenna arrays where it is important to know the mentioned characteristics. Measurements made with antenna arrays in the VHF band showed a behaviour compatible with the presented conclusions.