A high efficiency splashplate feed

The splashplate is a low-cost feed for antennas that have to be rapidly assembled, dismantled, and transported. A prototype Land Rover satellite terminal has been built in which a splashplate-fed 1.7-m parabolic antenna is mounted on a tripod, with the terminal itself situated at the back of the Land Rover. In order to maximize the efficiency of the system, studies have been performed to improve the basic design of the splashplate. The present designs use principles developed for Cassegrain systems, where the profiles of the main dish and subreflector are modified to achieve uniform illumination across the aperture of the antenna along with constant phase, and hence maximum illumination efficiency. One improved design has produced a considerable increase in efficiency over the conventional design; a further design is still being studied.