Microdyne Corporation

Hank S Lin

Charles E Day

Robert L Hooper

Michael S Balbes

William M Lennox

A receive only, low cost, small size, frequency agile earth satellite ground station has the low noise amplifier, frequency agile receiver, head end modulator, motor control circuit and optional signal unscrambler disposed on circuit boards about a variable polarization antenna-to-low noise amplifier feed which together with the motor for controlling the feed polarization of the feed are all located in a weather insulating cannister at the focal point of the system antenna whereby the only elements of the system not located in the cannister are the antenna and a cable connected control console employed to select a desired channel and to select local or satellite reception located at the TV set. A motor control is provided which senses odd-or-even least significant bit of binary coded channel selection signals to determine if the feed polarization, control motor must be energized.

Receive only earth satellite ground station

This new demodulator for frequency modulated signals separates the signals into two distinct paths and delays the signals in one of the paths, with reference to those in the other of said paths, by an integral odd multiple of a quarter of one wavelength of the center wavelength of the signals. A particular type of balanced mixer compares the outputs of said two paths and produces an output varying in amplitude according to the phase difference between the signals at the outputs of said two paths. The above improvement has peculiar advantages in FM receivers for the relatively weak, wide band (excess of 2MHz), frequency modulated, television signals received from satellites.

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Silver Spring, MD, United States of America

Hank S Lin