Compensation techniques for rain depolarization in satellite communications

Compensation techniques for rain depolarization in satellite links are discussed from the viewpoint of system configuration, performance, and technical feasibility. The compensator using two rotatable polarizers has sufficient performance at microwave region. Two types of compensators, as combination of 90° and 180° polarizers and a combination of two 90° polarizers, were developed and tested. Satisfactory results were obtained at 4-GHz band by using the INTELSAT satellite. The compensation system for an operational use is also presented in this paper.