According to the demands for ultra-high frequency (UHF) partial discharge (PD) detection used in high voltage (HV) electrical equipment, four kinds of miniaturized UHF antennas of different elements are designed and manufactured in this paper based on PCB technology. The performance parameters of the four antennas have been analyzed by simulation to test the feasibility of UHF antenna in PD detecting application. Their port characteristics, such as voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR), have been verified by vector network analyzer. The coefficients of the four antennas, which express the relationship between output signal and electric field strength under different frequencies, are calibrated in formulas and curves based on the standard EM field modulated in GTEM cell. A PD detecting experimental platform has been set up, using the point-plane discharge model as the partial discharge source and the pulse current detection method to measure the quantity of partial discharge signal. The experiments of UHF signals detecting have been performed. It is proved by both simulations and experiments that the microstrip antenna and the slot antenna have low bandwidth and gain. On the contrary, the dipole antenna and the spiral antenna have low loss, high gain and good impedance matching, and work well in UHF PD signal detection.