Estimating Antenna Pointing Errors From Beam Squints

A method of estimating the pointing error of an offset-conic-section reflector antenna equipped to receive in both right circular polarization (RCP) and left circular polarization (LCP) exploits a phenomenon that, heretofore, has been regarded as a minor nuisance. The phenomenon in question is a misalignment between RCP and LCP beams and manifests itself as opposing squints of the beams. The method enables the generation of pointing-error estimates at high rates for use as feedback in high-bandwidth antenna tracking-control systems, without need for the complex radio-frequency circuitry of monopulse or traditional sequential-lobing antenna tracking-control systems. The method was conceived especially to be used at terrestrial stations to track LCP and RCP signals transmitted by satellites.