Conical-reflector antennas

The mechanical advantages of a singly curved conical reflector are demonstrated by the experimental test of a furlable 1.83 m conical-Gregorian antenna at 16.33 GHz. The measured gain of 47.5 dB corresponds to a net efficiency of over 57 percent. A ray-optics analysis of conical-reflector antennas is presented, and data useful in the design of conical antennas is given. The conical-Gregorian antenna, in which a subreflector is used in conjunction with a conventional horn feed, is considered in detail. A physical-optics analysis of the conical-Gregorian antenna is used to investigate diffraction and other effects, and to analytically confirm the high performance of the antenna. It is concluded that conical antennas are a valuable addition to available antenna-design concepts.