When we look at receive antenna patterns sidelobes, they tell us just as much about the overall health of an antenna system as the main beam itself. These sidelobes — the smaller peaks of radiation outside the primary beam —...
In SATCOM systems, especially at Ka-band and beyond, small mechanical misalignments can have disproportionately large effects on performance. One of the most critical — and often underestimated — alignment factors is the subreflector. So, why is subreflector alignment so sensitive...
Introduction In satellite communications, phase noise in SATCOM systems can seriously degrade signal quality, affecting everything from link margin to demodulation performance. Ground station engineers must understand the root causes of phase noise, how it shows up in RF systems,...
For nearly 30 years, I’ve worked in the SATCOM ground segment field—surveying, installing, aligning, commissioning, and supporting antenna systems around the world. In that time, I’ve seen a lot of control systems come and go. Some are bulletproof. Some are...
In the world of satellite ground stations, precision tracking is the cornerstone of reliable communications. Two key tracking methods often referenced in operational environments are Intelsat’s IESS-412 11-parameter ephemeris tracking and NORAD’s two-line element set (TLE) tracking. While both provide...
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