THE WEST FORD ANTENNA FEED SYSTEM
Abstract
The West Ford orbital scatter communication system, which operates in the X-band, consists of two installations - one located at Camp Parks, Pleasanton, Calif., and the other at Westford, Mass. Each installation employs a Cassegrainian antenna system that uses a paraboloidal reflector 60 ft in diameter. The West Ford antennasARE INTENDED TO OPERATE IN CONJUNCTION WITH A BELT OF METALLIC DIPOLES ORBITING THE EARTH. These dipoles, tuned to approximately 8000 Mc, will function as a scattering medium between the two ground systems in the same way that the troposphere functions in a tropospheric-scatter communication system . In using this belt to establish and hold communications, each West Ford antenna emits a communication beam while receiving and tracking the other antenna's communication beam. Thus, it is feasible for both antenna systems to illuminate a common volume of the orbit belt. The requirements, design considerations, and final RF measurement results of the over-all West Ford antenna and individual components are discussed. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 05, 1962
- Accession Number
- AD0282311
Entities
People
- L. Niro
Organizations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology