AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO A PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT MODIFICATION OF A TWO AXIS TELEMETRY TRACKING SYSTEM

Abstract

The design of a telemetry tracking system is generally centered around its desired RF performance which is typically specified in terms of beamwidth, gain and/or G/T. These parameters determine the size of the reflector used in a given application and consequently dictate the required size and performance of the associated pedestal. Any subsequent improvement in the RF performance of such a system is primarily achieved by increasing the size of its reflector. The magnitude of the improvement realized is therefore limited by the load handling capability of the pedestal. In most instances, the substitution of a larger reflector with its increased inertia and wind loading causes a significant degradation in the dynamic performance of the tracking system. This paper describes how the figure of merit (G/T) of a specific dual axis telemetry tracking system can be improved by a minimum of 7.3 dB/K° without impacting its dynamic performance or increasing its weight. These impressive results are made feasible by the innovative pairing of a unique design planar reflector with a novel implementation of the conical scanner technology. The FLAPS™ reflector incorporates a newly developed concept which features lightweight construction and very low wind load coefficients [1, 2]. The conical scanner is a lightweight version of the DECS tracking feed system described in the referenced technical paper [3].