Measured Error Terms for the Three-Antenna Gain Measurement Technique
Authors: G. Todd Park, David Musser, Don Bodnar, Doug Kremer, Jack Snyder
Publication: AMTA 2000
Copyright Owner: NSI-MI Technologies
This paper will detail the implementation and results of a gain calculation performed on standard gain horns (SGHs) in the LS and XN microwave bands. The three-antenna method was used to ensure the highest accuracy possible, and extensive efforts were made to minimize the error budget. The measurement was performed in a large anechoic chamber, with the receive and transmit antennas placed 4.6 meters high in opposing corners. The resulting fifteen meters of aperture separation (approximately 10D2/λ for LS band and 15D2/λ for XN band) eliminated all measurable aperture interactions and greatly reduced multipath interference from chamber reflections Rigorous analysis of the error terms proved this method to be both accurate and reliable. Typical values of measured error terms will be presented.