Tracking system of a 30/20 GHz band small transportable earth station

This paper discusses the system design and operational results of a tracking system for a 30/20 GHz band small transportable earth station antenna. The autotrack system uses the hill-climb technique based on the received beacon power. Antenna position pre-set and angle indication are simplified by a micro-computer. Experiments were performed using the satellite CS. When the weather was fair, the tracking error was 0.021 deg rms. The tracking error during heavy rain became 0.62 deg rms. In actual operation, this tracking system has almost no effect on the availability of the communication link.