High-Power Coupled Wideband Low-Frequency Antenna Design for Enhanced Long-Range Loran-C Timing Synchronization

TL;DR

A new compact antenna design improves Loran-C timing systems by increasing their range and performance.

Contribution

A sub-cubic-meter impedance matching antenna with enhanced radiation and extended range for Loran-C systems.

Findings

The proposed antenna achieves a 7-fold radiation enhancement and 18 kHz bandwidth.

The system extends decoding range beyond 100 m with only 100 W input power.

The design overcomes traditional compact antenna limitations in transmission distance.

Abstract

Precise timing synchronization remains a fundamental requirement for modern navigation and communication systems, where the miniaturization of Loran-C infrastructure presents both technical challenges and practical significance. Conventional miniaturized loop antennas cannot simultaneously meet the requirements of the Loran-C signal for both radiation intensity and bandwidth due to inherent quality factor (Q) limitations. A sub-cubic-meter impedance matching (IM) antenna is proposed, featuring a −20 dB bandwidth of 18 kHz and over 7-fold radiation enhancement. The proposed design leverages a planar-transformer-based impedance matching network to enable efficient 100 kHz operation in a compact form factor, while a resonant coil structure is adopted at the receiver side to enhance the system’s sensitivity. The miniaturized Loran-C timing system incorporating the IM antenna achieves an extended decoding range of >100 m with merely 100 W input power, exceeding conventional loop antennas limited to 30 m operation. This design successfully achieves overall miniaturization of the Loran-C timing system while breaking through the current transmission distance limitations of compact antennas, extending the effective transmission range to the hundred-meter scale. The design provides a case for developing compact yet high-performance Loran-C systems.

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