Measurement method of electrical parameters of large dimension antenna systems

The method of measurement and evaluation of electrical parameters a larg antenna systems for ultra-high frequency bands is developed, that were not provided for the use of such antennas by their design. For ensure the necessary radio parameters in professional antenna systems (AS) use parabolic antenna reflectors with large diameters of 5 to 12 meters or more. The creation of such antennas require large expenditures for their production and metrological support by parameters setting. In addition many antenna systems of military-industrial complex (MIC) which used in the frequency bands up to 4 GHz require modernization during the transition to higher frequencies and metrological evaluation their electrical parameters at the facility. The measurement of parameters of radio reflector AS large-diameter is impossible to implement by ground methods at a sufficiently high angles to avoid the influence of topography on Earth passing radio-waves. The measurement by radio astronomy method with using aircrafts with known parameters of source signal requires large expenditures and complex preparatory work. Therefore we need other complex methods. The essence of the proposed method is to conduct multi-parameter measurement electrical parameters AC by radio astronomy method with using an unknown source signals from satellites and use the auxiliary test antenna relatively small diameter (Ø 2,4 m). First measured the electrical parameters of the auxiliary antenna, namely the width direction of the diagram, the gain coefficient, coefficient of using the surface. Then measured the same parameters of auxiliary test antenna by radio astronomy method with using an unknown source signals from satellites and finding corrective coefficients. The next step is the measurement by radio astronomy method the antenna which studied with large diameter of reflector with using the source signal from the same satellites and then recalculate parameters with using corrective coefficients. Based on the proposed method is provided the experimental studies and the results of measurement and metrological evaluation of radio parameters of two large antenna systems with diameters of reflectors 12 meters for frequency bands Ku (11,7–12,5 GHz) and Ka (17,3–18,1 GHz ). The possibility of using such antenna systems for create a modern space communications systems is analyzed, especially for establishment of ground control station Ukrainian satellite “Lybid”. Creation of satellite stations through the use of effective technological measures, including AS TNA-57 by their upgrading would considerably reduce the cost of establishing such stations.