Title :
Measurements column (antenna testing)
Author_Institution :
Eur. Space Res. & Technol. Center, Noordwijk, Netherlands
fDate :
6/1/1991 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
The alignment of the mechanical axes of a compact range test positioner to the compact range wavefront is addressed. Reflection measurements are used to calibrate the range and to determine the gain of antennas. It is shown that the circular flat plate and the vertical wire are accurate electrical alignment tools for the field direction and the polarization vector. With the plate, it was possible to align the field horizontally and in the horizontal plane within 4 arc s. The polarization vector could be aligned within 7 arc s. Furthermore, the plate can be used to make an error estimate of the center section of the quiet zone, over a wide angular range, and can be used as a gain standard.<>
Keywords :
antennas; electronic equipment testing; gain measurement; reflectometry; test facilities; antennas gain; calibration; circular flat plate; compact range test positioner; compact range wavefront; electrical alignment tools; error estimate; field direction; gain standard; horizontal plane; mechanical axes alignment; polarization vector; quiet zone; reflection measurements; vertical wire; wide angular range; Antenna measurements; Azimuth; Calibration; Feeds; Frequency domain analysis; Frequency measurement; Optical reflection; Polarization; Satellite antennas; Testing;
Journal_Title :
Antennas and Propagation Magazine, IEEE
