Meanderline Array Radome Polarizers for practical applications

Meanderline Array Radome Polarizers (MLARP's) can be placed on many types of apertures to provide circularly polarized, directional radiation patterns of many shapes and/or E- and H-plane beamwidth ratios, or on cylindrical apertures of biconical and disk-cone antennas to obtain CP omni-azimuthal patterns. The MLARP also serves as a radome, and has a bandwidth capability which is much broader than other types of aperture polarizers. Equations are derived for calculation of the input VSWR and polarization axial ratio. Important differences between the practical factors involved in developing such radome polarizers for receiving verses transmitting application are discussed. It is shown that this type of radome polarizer can provide axial ratios under 3 dB over a two-octave bandwidth; a 9:1 bandwidth is even achievable for axial ratios under 6 dB in receiving applications.