Universal Contour Chart of Elevation and Azimuth Angles of Parabolic Antennas for Communicating With Any Geostationary Satellite

There are well known graphs of elevation and azimuth angles that give the required orientation of a parabolic antenna so that it can communicate with any geostationary satellite. These graphs, however are little illustrative and only consist of curves drawn on a pair of axes in rectangular coordinates, whereas this invention uses both contour plots and a geographical map of the areas of interest. Some similar contours to the ones used in this invention have been published in specialized satellite magazines or journals, but they have the great disadvantage that the information they display applies at once only to one particular satellite and to a very limited and specific geographical region, whereas with this invention the contours provided are useful for any geostationary satellite and also for any chosen geographical region of the world.

The objective of this invention is to avoid or eliminate the useless need of creating a separate contour map for each particular case of a very specific satellite related to a determined geographical region; this objective is met through a universal coutour chart of easy operation and very practical, as it can be used and provides results for all possible combination cases of desired satellite and selected geographical zone.

The details associated with this universal contour chart are clearly given in the description that follows and the two drawings provided.

FIG. 1, is a geographical map of the world containing the borders of each country.

FIG. 2, is the set of contours that allow to read the angle values. These contours can be printed on a transparent sheet that freely slides or displaces over the map of FIG. 1.

With reference to both figures, the equator line e in FIG. 1 must coincide with the horizontal line d in FIG. 2. Both lines are drawn thicker than the others to identify them easily. Next, FIG. 2 must be displaced over FIG. 1, so that the arrow c shown at the bottom part of the central vertical line in FIG. 2 coincides over FIG. 1 with the position of the geostationary satellite for which one desires to know the elevation angle a and the azimuth angle b that the parabolic antennas must have to communicate with it. The position of the desired satellite is read on the longitude scale, east or west, provided at the bottom in FIG. 1. For instance, if the desired satellite is located at 20.degree. west, then the arrow c in FIG. 2 must coincide with the corresponding point at a geographical longitude of 20.degree. west read on scale f, shown at the bottom in FIG. 1. Having done this, the values of the elevation angle a and the azimuth angle b of the earth station parabolic antennas located in any part of the world covered by the satellite adiated power are read directly over the contours that pass through the geographical point where each antenna is or is to be installed; it is clear that if necessary, contour interpolations can be done.