Practical Considerations for Determining Polarization Properties from Measured Linear Components
Authors: Justin A. Dobbins, Jason E. Jerauld, Doren W. Hess
Publication: AMTA 2012
Copyright Owner: Raytheon Company
Polarization properties (e.g. axial ratio, sense, and tilt) of an antenna under test (AUT) are often calculated from measurements with a linear (or dual-linear) polarized range antenna. At first, these calculations appear to be simple and straightforward. However, there are several different conventions used in the literature and some important practical aspects of the measurements are often omitted. Neglect of these small details can easily lead to incorrect results, with the most common error being the reversal of the right-hand-circular and left-hand-circular polarization components. We note the differences in the published polarization conventions and provide practical tips for good polarization measurement practices. We also describe stepby- step procedures for determining AUT polarization properties from two styles of polarization measurements using a linear (or dual-linear) polarized range antenna.
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