IEE Electronics Division: Chairman´s address. Some recent advances in microwave reflector antennas

The paper presents a review of some recent advances in microwave reflector antennas, and places emphasis on the work of the Electromagnetics Applications Group at Queen Mary College (QMC). After a brief historical review, the following classes of antenna are considered: pencil beam, shaped beam, beam scanning and multiple beam. The operation of these antennas is described in nonmathematical terms and their performance constraints are identified. Many new antennas and feeds are illustrated and their operation discussed. In nearly all cases, they have resulted from innovation coupled with computer-aided design methods. The latter development distinguishes antenna developments of the last decade from those of the past. It is expected that this feature of antenna design will be exploited still more in the future.