Ku/Ka-Band Antenna Terminals for Satellite Communications

Abstract

Options of Ku- and Ka-band antenna terminals for satellite communication are considered. Most of the time, the terminal should operate in the Ka-band, and when hydrometeors appear and the signal level drops down below the threshold, the modem automatically switches the system to the Ku-band, ensuring continuity of communication. Three options of antenna terminals are compared. It is shown that at present, the best option in terms of cost, switching time of frequency band, quality of radiation characteristics, and reliability is the antenna terminal consisting of two single-band reflector antennas of Ku- and Ka-bands.