Beam-scanning primary feed for parabolic reflectors

A system is described which achieves wide-angle beam scanning from a parabolic reflector antenna by movement of an adaptive primary-feed system about a defined locus. The feed system performs a sampled spatial Fourier transformation of the focal-plane field in order to obtain a uniform power distribution prior to phase compensation and summation. Scanning of ±15 beamwidths with less than 0.5dB loss in gain and negligible beam distortion has been demonstrated experimentally.