Parabolic reflector antennas advantageously support low side lobe radiation patterns for ETSI class 4 performance, by utilizing: (i) metal choke plates adjacent a distal end of a dielectric cone within a sub-reflector assembly, (ii) “lossy” material feed boom waveguide sleeves and/or (iii) extended length cylindrical shields lined with radiation absorbing materials. Relatively shallow and large diameter parabolic reflectors having an F/D ratio of greater than about 0.25 may be provided with one or more of the identified (i)-(iii) enhancements.

A mounting base (14) is fixed to an antenna (13) or an antenna bracket (15) for supporting the antenna (13). A baseband unit (11) and an RF unit (12) are fixed to the mounting base (14). The baseband unit (11) fixed to the mounting base (14) is disposed to face a back part (132) of the antenna (13) and to form a space between the back part (132) and the first enclosure (111). The RF unit (12) fixed to the mounting base (14) is disposed in the space formed between the back part (132) of the antenna (13) and the baseband unit (11) and is coupled to a waveguide flange (132) of the antenna (13). Thus, for example, in a configuration of a point-to-point wireless apparatus in which an RF unit and a baseband unit are separated, restrictions on installation space of the apparatus can be facilitated.

A mounting base (14) is fixed to an antenna (13) or an antenna bracket (15) for supporting the antenna (13). A baseband unit (11) and an RF unit (12) are fixed to the mounting base (14). The baseband unit (11) fixed to the mounting base (14) is disposed to face a back part (132) of the antenna (13) and to form a space between the back part (132) and the first enclosure (111). The RF unit (12) fixed to the mounting base (14) is disposed in the space formed between the back part (132) of the antenna (13) and the baseband unit (11) and is coupled to a waveguide flange (132) of the antenna (13). Thus, for example, in a configuration of a point-to-point wireless apparatus in which an RF unit and a baseband unit are separated, restrictions on installation space of the apparatus can be facilitated.

An antenna structure includes a radiator element configured for operation at a first microwave frequency range and at a second microwave frequency range that is higher than the first microwave frequency range, and a reflector including the radiator element attached thereto. The reflector includes an enclosure that houses the radiator element and a radiating aperture. The antenna structure further includes a radome assembly adjacent the radiating aperture. The radome assembly includes a flexible radome having a thickness that is less than a wavelength corresponding to the first or second microwave frequency ranges, and a tensioning member that extends along a perimeter of the flexible radome and maintains tension in a surface of the flexible radome.

A horn feed including: a central conduit extending axially in a first direction from a first portion that is configured to be relatively distal from a sub-reflector and including a first aperture and a second portion that is configured to be relatively proximal to the sub-reflector and including a second aperture; and an interface configured to connect to a dielectric support including an outer cylindrical dielectric wall of a substantially cylindrical shape and an inner cylindrical dielectric wall of a substantially cylindrical shape, wherein the central conduit, the outer cylindrical dielectric wall and the inner cylindrical dielectric wall are co-axial.

Microwave antennas having optimized performance are provided. The microwave antennas include a primary reflector having effective foci arranged in a generally circular or elliptic range around a central axis thereof, and a matching component filling a hole at a bottom center portion thereof. The structural parameters of the microwave antenna are tuned by an aperture field analysis method to optimize the overall performance.

In one embodiment, a sub-reflector assembly for a reflector antenna has (i) a waveguide transition at a waveguide end of the sub-reflector assembly and configured to fit within a waveguide, (ii) a dielectric radiator connected to the waveguide transition and extending both laterally and back towards the waveguide end of the sub-reflector assembly, and (iii) a sub-reflector connected to the dielectric radiator. By configuring the dielectric radiator to extend both laterally and back towards the dielectric end of the assembly, radiated energy from the waveguide is directed such that the sub-reflector assembly can be used with shallow reflector dishes (e.g., F/D ratio greater than 0.25) and still achieve sufficiently high directivity.

The invention is an integrated single-piece antenna feed, turnstile polarizer and antenna system suitable for satellite communications. One embodiment of the integrated single-piece antenna includes a circular waveguide input, a circular polarizer, a coaxial feed horn, subreflector and subreflector support. One embodiment of the circular polarizer features four branches of wrapped-single-ridged waveguide.

A microwave system comprising a center fed parabolic reflector; a radio transceiver, said transceiver disposed on a circuit board and coupled to a radiator, said radiator disposed on the circuit board and extending orthogonally from a surface of the circuit board. Embodiments also include directors on the circuit board and a sub-reflector comprising a thin plate disposed on a weather proof cover and said sub-reflector having a substantially concave surface with a focus directed towards the radiator. The circuit board may be physically integrated within the feed mechanism of the center fed parabolic reflector and the radio transceiver is configured to provide OSI layer support.

An antenna structure includes a radiator element configured for operation at a first microwave frequency range and at a second microwave frequency range that is higher than the first microwave frequency range, and a reflector including the radiator element attached thereto. The reflector includes an enclosure that houses the radiator element and a radiating aperture. The antenna structure further includes a radome assembly adjacent the radiating aperture. The radome assembly includes a flexible radome having a thickness that is less than a wavelength corresponding to the first or second microwave frequency ranges, and a tensioning member that extends along a perimeter of the flexible radome and maintains tension in a surface of the flexible radome.