In a body-worn personal communications apparatus, for example a
wrist-carried wireless telephone, an antenna (102) is a helical or other
physically-shortened electric antenna that makes use of the enhanced
normal component of electric field close to the body. A microphone (114)
can act as a top load to the antenna, thereby enabling the use of a
shorter antenna. The antenna (102) may be formed from coaxial cable,
enabling it to provide electrical connections between the microphone
(114) and transceiver circuitry in the body of the apparatus. By
arranging for the microphone (114) to have low impedance at radio
frequencies, the coaxial cable acts as an inductive stub and enables the
antenna (102) to be further shortened.