A Dual-Receiver Method for Simultaneous Measurements of Radome Transmission Efficiency and Beam Deflection
Authors: Robert Luna, Tom Thomas, Dean Darsey, John Vortmeier
Publication: AMTA 2003
Copyright Owner: NSI-MI Technologies
Characterization of radome performance involves measuring the radome-induced microwave signal attenuation and change in propagation direction. Transmission efficiency (TE) is a measurement of the percentage of microwave energy passing through the radome. Beam deflection (BD) is a measurement of the change in the direction of propagation of the energy as it passes through the radome.
Typical instrumentation configurations include one or two receivers interfaced with a monopulse antenna through a tracking loop. Tracking is mechanized at either the transmit or receive location.
The difficulty with these configurations is the complexity required to implement, coordinate, monitor, and measure tracking with sufficient speed and accuracy. MI Technologies has developed and tested a relatively inexpensive and simple dualreceiver method that provides high accuracy and fast test time. A radome measurement system of this configuration is installed and has been successfully tested for The Boeing Company.