Low-cost Switched Array-wide Band Antenna for Search and Rescue Disaster Management

The activity of SAR (Search and Rescue) is an activity that requires speed in finding the location point. Successfully search for victims can save many lives. Direction finder is proposing to accelerating search survivors. Direction finder can detect the direction and track the radio transmitter using Doppler function. The design, measuring, testing and integrating wideband switched parasitic antenna for direction finder application are conducted in the research. In this paper direction finder antenna made with simple devices and the materials can be found in Indonesia. The proposed architecture has advantages for cost-effective, easy to design and to integrate. The antenna design successfully reaches maximum gain by simulation and field test. The antenna success passes S11 measurement, in accord with international standards of antenna manufacturing. The antenna successfully tracks the transmitter using zero cross detector software.