Application of a Spherical Multi-Purpose Facility to the Selection of the Appropriate Radome for an On-Board POD Antenna

Abstract

This paper presents the application of a new multi-purpose facility for electromagnetic tests to the measurement of the influence of radomes on the radiation of an antenna. The antenna under test is part of a project for mounting a small, low-cost, low-power electronic system in the pod of an unmanned aerial vehicle. The shape of the radome is restricted to the pod physical specifications, but several materials could be tested to assess its effect on the antenna, and to select the best fitted for this particular application.