| Abstract: | In the design of communication satellite systems, knowledge of earth-station receive antenna gain and gain stability is essential. Gain measurement relies on the establishment of a constant receive signal flux. This paper attempts to show how a standard gain horn and a reference source can be used together with a closed-loop satellite ALC circuit to provide a stable, known received flux at the input of the earth-station antenna with unknown gain. Theoretical limitations of the technique are discussed as a forerunner to future practical measurements. Elements of the reference receive chain are transportable and can therefore be used to cross-calibrate antennas, even in the case of receive-only terminals. |
