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Turnstile Antenna

Array Antennas

Two crossed dipoles fed in quadrature for circular or omnidirectional coverage.

Band: VHF/UHF
Gain: ~ 0-4 dBi
Polarization: Circular (axis) / horizontal (broadside)

Photos

Real-world photo of a Turnstile Antenna in use — Real-world example. Source: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0; Reise Reise).

Radiation / wave patterns

Idealized radiation pattern of the Turnstile Antenna — Idealized azimuth radiation pattern (illustrative, generated). Radial scale in dB.

How & why it works

A turnstile crosses two horizontal dipoles at right angles and feeds them 90 degrees out of phase. The quadrature feed makes their fields combine into a rotating, circularly polarized wave looking along the axis, while broadside the pattern is nearly omnidirectional—useful for working satellites that tumble or for even horizon coverage. Stacking turnstiles or adding a reflector ('eggbeater' and related designs) shapes the pattern toward the sky for low-orbit satellite work.

Real-world uses

Weather-satellite (APT/LRPT) reception, amateur satellites, and VHF broadcasting.