NTIA Technical Report TR-06-436 

Phased Array Antenna Pattern Variation 

with Frequency and Implications for 

Radar Spectrum Measurements 

Frank H. Sanders 

Bradley J. Ramsey 

NTIA Technical Report TR-06-436 

Phased Array Antenna Pattern Variation 

with Frequency and Implications for 

Radar Spectrum Measurements 

Frank H. Sanders 

Bradley J. Ramsey 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Carlos M. Gutierrez, Secretary 

Michael D. Gallagher, Assistant Secretary 

for Communications and Information 

December 2005 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 

The work presented in this report was performed under a cooperative research and development 

agreement (CRADA) between NTIA and the RF Metrics Corporation. The NTIA/ITS field site at 

Table Mountain, north of Boulder, Colorado, was used to perform the measurements presented in 

this report. 

DISCLAIMER 

Certain commercial equipment and materials are identified in this report to specify adequately 

the technical aspects of the reported results. In no case does such identification imply 

recommendations or endorsement by the National Telecommunications and Information 

Administration, nor does it imply that the material or equipment identified is the best available 

for this purpose. 

iii 

CONTENTS

Page 

FIGURES.............................................................................................................................. vi 

TABLES ...............................................................................................................................vi 

ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS.......................................................................................vi 

1 INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................1 

2 APPROACH..................................................................................................................3 

3 RESULTS......................................................................................................................5 

 3.1 End-Fed Slotted Waveguide Antenna.....................................................................5 

 3.2 Patch Array Antenna...............................................................................................9 

4 ANALYSIS OF SLOTTED ARRAY RADIATION PATTERN ...............................12 

5 CONCLUSIONS .........................................................................................................15 

6 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................16 

v
FIGURES 

Page 

Figure 1. Measurement setup..................................................................................................3 

Figure 2. Slotted waveguide assembly with end of radome removed ...................................5 

Figure 3. Representative individual antenna patterns of the slotted array antenna ...............6 

Figure 4. Density plot of slotted array radar antenna patterns across 8000-10800 MHz ......6 

Figure 5. Three-dimensional view of the slotted array antenna patterns of Figure 4 ............7 

Figure 6. Emission spectra of the slotted array radar measured at three azimuths 

(main beam, +5°, and -5°), plus the peak (true) spectrum measured across all azimuths .....8 

Figure 7. Center-fed patch array antenna...............................................................................9 

Figure 8. Density plot of patch array radar antenna patterns across 8000-10800 MHz ......10 

Figure 9. Three-dimensional view of the patch array radar antenna patterns......................10 

Figure 10. Emission spectra of the patch array radar measured on one azimuth 

(main beam), plus the peak (true) spectrum measured across all azimuths.........................11 

Figure 11. Modeled main-beam frequency dependence for the end-fed slotted array ........13 

Figure 12. Emission spectra in the primary and secondary antenna beams of the 

slotted array antenna ............................................................................................................14 

TABLES 

Table 1. Slotted Waveguide Physical Parameters................................................................12 

vi
ABBREVIATIONS/ACRONYMS

ITS Institute for Telecommunication Sciences 

ITU-R International Telecommunication Union, Radiocommunication Sector 

NTIA National Telecommunications and Information Administration 

RSEC Radar Spectrum Engineering Criteria 

RBW resolution bandwidth 

RSL received signal level 

OOB out-of-band (emission type) 

YIG yttrium iron garnet (filter technology)

vii

PHASED ARRAY ANTENNA PATTERN VARIATION WITH FREQUENCY 

AND IMPLICATIONS FOR RADAR SPECTRUM MEASUREMENTS 

Frank H. Sanders1 and Bradley J. Ramsey2

Measured antenna patterns of an end-fed slotted waveguide antenna and a 

phased-array patch antenna used in maritime radionavigation radars across 

the frequency range 8500-10800 MHz are presented along with a 

measurement technique that characterizes the antenna patterns as a 

function of frequency. The frequency-dependent variation in the measured 

pattern of the slotted waveguide is compared to the frequency dependence 

of an ideal pattern based on the slot geometry. The implications for radar 

emissions measurement techniques are discussed. 

Key words: radar antenna pattern; radar emission measurement techniques; radar phased 

array antennas; Radar Spectrum Engineering Criteria (RSEC); squint angle 

1 INTRODUCTION 

Measurements of radiated emission spectra of radiolocation and radionavigation radar 

transmitters require that the peak emission level from the transmitters be obtained and 

recorded at each measured frequency in the spectrum. Methodologies for obtaining these 

maxima at each measured frequency when the radar beam is scanning through space are 

described in existing technical literature [1-4]. 

These references indicate that it is possible to obtain maximum amplitudes at frequencies 

across the emission spectrum if the radar antenna beam is not scanning. NTIA Report 

TR-05-420, “Measurement procedures for the Radar Spectrum Engineering Criteria,” 

states, “measurements may be performed without the radar antenna being rotated, 

provided that the directions of both maximum fundamental emission and any unwanted 

emission are known [1, p. 79].” The ITU-R Recommendation M.1177 includes the same 

sentence [2, p. 16]. For radars that have not been characterized previously, this 

information is generally not known and the radar under test typically is boresighted in the 

direction of the measurement system. (Operationally, “boresighted” means that the 

radar’s antenna is oriented so as to produce the maximum received signal level at a 

measurement system tuned to the fundamental frequency of the radar.) The advantage of 

making a measurement with the radar antenna fixed is that the peak received signal level 

(RSL) may be measured more quickly. Otherwise the system must be configured to select 

the peak reading from each full rotation or beam scan of the radar. While a stationaryantenna measurement technique can increase the speed of the measurement, it will only 

 

1 The author is with the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences, National Telecommunications 

and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, Boulder, CO.

2 The author is with the RF Metrics Corporation, Westminster, CO.
provide relevant measurement data if the azimuth of the primary radiation lobe of the 

transmitting antenna relative to the mechanical structure of the antenna (the so-called 

squint angle) does not vary as a function of frequency. 

Many phased-array radar antenna designs do not meet this requirement. The frequency 

dependence of the main antenna lobe is well understood [5, 6, 7], but despite the 

availability of antenna modeling techniques, these tools are not generally used by 

measurement organizations. Moreover the application of modeling techniques is 

dependent upon precise knowledge of physical antenna features that are usually obscured 

by a radome. This NTIA report describes the methodology for measuring frequencydependent squint angle variations in such radar antenna patterns without the need for 

such knowledge. Two specific examples are presented in which the radiation patterns of 

9300-9500 MHz maritime radionavigation antennas are measured across a frequency 

range of 8000-10800 MHz. The two radar antennas that are examined are an end-fed 

slotted array design and a phased-array patch design. 

For the slotted array, the measurement data are compared with the computed squint angle 

frequency dependence for the slot geometry, and the results are demonstrated to be a 

close match. For the patch array, the design symmetry should produce no squint angle 

variation with frequency, but nevertheless some variation is observed in actual antenna 

pattern data. The implication of this work is that any radar antenna using a phased array 

design should be assumed to produce frequency-dependent variations in its radiation 

pattern even if such variations are predicted theoretically to be zero (or unless proven 

otherwise by antenna pattern measurement data). 

Frequency-dependent variations will adversely affect radar emission spectrum 

measurement results if the radar antennas in question are boresighted on the measurement 

system, as demonstrated below in this report. Therefore, radiated spectrum 

measurements of such radars should generally be performed while the radar antennas 

are actively rotating. 

2
2 APPROACH

Two maritime radionavigation radar transmitters operating in the 9300-9500 MHz band 

were operated at the Table Mountain field site north of Boulder, Colorado, for radiated 

emission spectrum measurements in accordance with the standard radiated measurement 

method [1-2]. The radars were positioned on a tower at a height of 3 m above the ground 

at a distance of 125 m from the measurement platform. Two separate measurement 

systems were used, each with its own antennas which were both mounted 3 m above the 

ground. A block diagram of this setup is shown in Figure 1. 

System 1 was comprised of a 0.5-m diameter parabolic reflector antenna with a wideband 

1-18 GHz feed antenna, a low-noise frequency-tracking preselector, and a spectrum 

analyzer to measure radiated antenna patterns between 8000-10800 MHz. The tracking 

preselector consisted of a variable-level step attenuator, a yttrium-iron-garnet (YIG) 

tunable bandpass filter, and a low-noise amplifier. 

Figure 1. Measurement setup. Two spectrum measurement systems, System 1 (top), and 

System 2 (bottom) are used, with sweep triggering linked between them. 

System 2 utilized a low-gain horn antenna and spectrum analyzer to capture antenna 

patterns at each radar’s fundamental frequency. Spectrum analyzer 2 was configured to 

sweep when the received signal exceeded a level that was just below the peak of the 

emission pattern. The trigger produced by this event was routed to spectrum analyzer 1 in 

System 1. The result was two nearly simultaneous analyzer sweeps, one made by 

System 1 at each measurement frequency in the spectrum and the second made by 

System 2 at the radar’s fundamental frequency. 

The high gain and low gain antennas were co-located, with a separation distance of a few 

centimeters between them. By sharing a single trigger, the antenna patterns collected by 

Systems 1 and 2 were collected simultaneously, and the position of the primary antenna 

beam at the fundamental frequency in the trace data from System 2 could be directly 

compared with the azimuthal position of the emission patterns collected from System 1. 

Using this technique the variation of the patterns as a function of frequency could be 

determined. The coordinate system of the measurements was aligned azimuthally on the 

direction of the main beam of the radar at the radar fundamental frequency. (No elevation 

information was measured on the radar antenna pattern.) 

3
The sweep time of both analyzers was set to an interval slightly longer than the rotation 

time of the radar—in this case, 3 seconds (as the radar rotation interval was 

approximately 2.5 sec). Both spectrum analyzers were set to single sweep mode. 

Both systems operated under computer control. The spectrum analyzer in System 1 

acquired measurements using a modified version of the standard stepped-frequency 

procedure for measuring radar emission spectra [1-2]. In this procedure, a radar emission 

spectrum is measured as follows. A spectrum analyzer is placed in a zero-hertz span 

mode, so that it measures received power as a function of time rather than frequency. 

Peak detection is selected, the analyzer IF bandwidth is selected at a value somewhat less 

than (1/(radar pulse width)), and the analyzer video bandwidth is adjusted to be slightly 

wider than the IF bandwidth. The analyzer sweep time is slightly longer than the radar 

antenna scan interval. A single sweep is taken on the analyzer at the selected frequency, 

revealing the fluctuating received signal from the radar as its beam is scanned through 

space. The highest-amplitude value is retrieved from that sweep and stored as the radar 

maximum emission amplitude at that frequency. Next, the spectrum analyzer tuned 

frequency is increased by an amount equal to the IF bandwidth (e.g., if the IF bandwidth 

is set to 8 MHz, the tuned frequency is stepped to a value 8 MHz higher than the previous 

tuned frequency). A single sweep is taken at the new frequency, the maximum value is 

recorded, and the process is continued until the entire radar emission spectrum has been 

measured in this manner. RF attenuation is added and removed as necessary throughout 

the measurement to keep the received power from the radar within the dynamic range of 

the measurement system. A tunable bandpass filter (usually a YIG technology device) is 

employed immediately after the RF attenuator to reject strong off-frequency energy, and 

a low-noise amplifier is used immediately after the filter to improve the sensitivity of the 

measurement system. 

But in addition to obtaining maximum-power data with a peak detector at every 

frequency step in the spectrum, the controller computer was configured to record the 

entire antenna pattern at each measurement step. System 2 simultaneously recorded the 

antenna pattern at the fundamental frequency. 

Thus, as the spectrum was built step by step in frequency, the antenna patterns at each 

measured frequency were likewise acquired and recorded, and their directions were all 

aligned relative to the main beam (fundamental frequency) azimuthal direction of the 

radar antenna by means of the main-beam-dependent triggering mechanism. 

For these measurements, the radars were operated in their shortest pulse width modes 

(about 50 ns, equating to a 20-MHz bandwidth), allowing an 8-MHz resolution 

bandwidth (RBW) to be used for the measurement. The frequency increment between 

antenna pattern collections was accordingly set to 8 MHz. As a result, both spectrum 

power levels and antenna patterns were measured across the range of 8000-10800 MHz at 

351 separate frequency steps. 

4
3 RESULTS 

3.1 End-Fed Slotted Waveguide Antenna 

The first test unit was a marine radar using an end-fed slotted waveguide antenna. A 

photograph of the assembly inside the radome is shown in Figure 2. The radiating 

element is a waveguide with transverse slots cut at a spacing of 2.35 mm. A periodic 

fence in front of the waveguide provides additional directivity and sidelobe suppression. 

Figure 2. Slotted waveguide assembly with end of radome removed. 

Examples of individual antenna patterns of the end-fed slotted array antenna are shown in 

Figure 3 at four frequencies. The top pattern was collected at the radar’s fundamental 

frequency, 9408 MHz. The other antenna patterns are registered azimuthally relative to 

the direction of the main beam in the top pattern. A set of 351 such antenna patterns were 

recorded, including one at the fundamental frequency of the radar. These antenna patterns 

were automatically aligned azimuthally using software tools and combined into threedimensional representations. Figures 4 and 5 were constructed by plotting all of the 

patterns in a single graph. Amplitudes in the patterns were color-coded to provide for 

easier interpretation of the resulting graphs. The pattern data are shown across azimuth 

angles of ±20 degrees relative to the main beam direction at the fundamental. In 

presenting the data this way the frequency dependence of the main lobe in the pattern 

becomes immediately apparent. The main lobe in Figure 4 follows a curve that starts at 

+14 degrees azimuth at 8000 MHz and decreases to -8 degrees at 10500 MHz. The main 

lobe is at 0 degrees by definition at the radar’s fundamental frequency of 9408 MHz. 

5
Figure 3. Representative individual antenna patterns of the slotted array antenna at four 

frequencies. 

Figure 4. Density plot of slotted array radar antenna patterns across 8000-10800 MHz, 

between ±20 degrees of the radar main beam direction. 

6
Figure 5. Three-dimensional view of the slotted array radar antenna patterns of 

Figure 4. 

Using the dataset shown in Figures 4 and 5, measurement results at fixed azimuths from 

boresight can be synthesized. For example, if the data in Figure 4 are sliced using a plane 

positioned at 0 degrees azimuth, the resulting data will represent an emission 

measurement of the radar as though it were fixed in a boresighted configuration. By 

moving the plane to other azimuths, other configurations may be synthesized. Figure 6 

shows the measurements at four separate azimuths according to the dataset. The peak of 

each measurement occurs at the same frequency, the fundamental of the radar. The 

emission spectrum characteristics at frequencies far from the fundamental show a 

significant variation with respect to the azimuth of the measurement system, with peak 

variations exceeding 15 dB. The curves indicate that out-of-band (OOB) and spurious 

emissions from this radar are directed off-axis with respect to the main lobe at the 

fundamental. Furthermore, the off-axis direction is frequency dependent. The peak 

emission spectrum, measured across all azimuths, is plotted as the black curve in 

Figure 6. 

7
Figure 6. Emission spectra of the slotted array radar measured at three azimuths (main 

beam, +5o, and -5o), plus the peak (true) spectrum measured across all azimuths. 

8
3.2 Patch Array Antenna 

The second radar to be measured was a marine radar using a patch array antenna. A 

photograph of the antenna is shown in Figure 7. The antenna is fed from a waveguide that 

terminates at the top center of the patch array. The individual patches are arranged in 

columns of three, with each patch fed from a microstrip line. Columns are connected to a 

microstrip line that follows the top edge of the array so that each column receives a fixed 

phase delay from the center point. 

Figure 7. Center-fed patch array antenna. 

Figures 8 and 9 show pattern data for the patch array radar antenna. As in the slotted 

waveguide array, the patterns display a frequency dependency with respect to the 

maximum emission azimuth in the OOB region. Figure 10 shows the difference in 

measured spectra between measuring the radar while rotated (the peak curve) and 

measuring at the boresight azimuth only (the main beam curve). While the differences are 

less than for the slotted waveguide case, they do exceed 10 dB in portions of the 

spectrum. For existing and future standards this discrepancy could mean the difference 

between meeting the emission specification or failing. 

9
Figure 8. Density plot of patch array radar antenna patterns across 8000-10800 MHz, 

between ±20 degrees of the radar main beam direction. 

 Figure 9. Three-dimensional view of the patch array radar antenna patterns of Figure 8. 

10
The patch array is symmetrically fed from the center. Theoretically, it should not exhibit 

an asymmetric frequency-dependent pattern for the main beam such as that observed for 

the slotted array. But the data in Figures 8 and 9 show clearly that, while the frequencydependent radiation patterns of the patch array are approximately symmetrical, there are 

significant off-boresight emissions. 

The practical upshot of this effect, however, is that the azimuth of the strongest radiation 

from the patch array at any given frequency cannot be expected to be in the same 

direction as the main beam at the fundamental frequency of the antenna. 

Figure 10. Emission spectra of the patch array radar measured on one azimuth (main 

beam), plus the peak (true) spectrum measured across all azimuths. 

11
4 ANALYSIS OF SLOTTED ARRAY RADIATION PATTERN 

Based on the geometry of the slotted array the squint angle can be computed. The 

geometry of the end-fed slotted array is given in Table 1. 

Table 1. Slotted Waveguide Physical Parameters 

Dielectric Material Air 

Waveguide width, x0 0.8 cm 

Waveguide height y0 0.4 cm 

Slot spacing s 2.35 cm 

Mode Number k 0 

The wavelength inside the guide for mode TEm,n is given by [6, p. 304]: 

λgm,n = λ

ε − mλ /2x ( )0

2

− nλ /2y ( )0

2

[ ]1/2 (1) 

where ε is the dielectric constant for the medium inside the guide. For a TE10 wave in a 

waveguide with dimensions given in Table 1: 

λ g = 5.10 cm at 9408 MHz. 

The direction of the main lobe for a slotted array is given by [7]: 

⎥

⎥

⎦

⎤

⎢

⎢

⎣

⎡ = + −

λλ

λ φ /

cos 1

s

k

g

,1, K 2 k ,0 1 ±±= (2) 

where s is the slot spacing and m is the mode number from Table 1. Figure 11 is a plot of 

the same pattern data shown in Figure 4 with a curve computed from (2) added using 

k = 0. The computed squint angle of the main lobe agrees well with the measured squint 

angle. A second prominent lobe has inverted frequency dependence, indicative of a 

reflected wave in the waveguide. This second lobe should be absent, based on the 

assumption that the termination end of the waveguide (opposite the feed end) is a perfect 

absorber of the stray energy that has traversed the length of the antenna. The fact that this 

weaker, mirror-image secondary beam is observed implies that the termination end of the 

antenna waveguide is not acting as a very effective absorber. As the reflected energy 

from the poor termination encounters the slotted array in a reversed direction relative to 

the desired radiation energy, the secondary beam of the antenna is reversed in orientation 

relative to the main beam. It is not known whether the waveguide termination at the end 

of the measured antenna was defective or damaged, or whether the inefficient absorption 

at that point resulted from some sort of economy related to the antenna manufacturing 

process. Together, the directions of these two beams form a sort of X in the antenna 

12
pattern space of Figure 11. They converge somewhat away from the main beam of the 

radar at its fundamental frequency. 

Figure 11. Modeled main-beam frequency dependence (black line) for the end-fed 

slotted array using the actual waveguide dimensions, plotted on top of measurement data. 

In addition to the secondary beam, lower-amplitude beams form as well, appearing as 

smaller structures parallel to the primary beam. They also change direction at a rate of 

about -8 degrees per gigahertz across the range of the measurement. They are manifested 

as conventional side lobes in the antenna pattern at the fundamental frequency. 

The radar spectrum as measured along each of the two beams is shown in Figure 12. It is 

apparent from this figure that emissions from the secondary beam do not contribute to the 

peak measurement, since the secondary-beam spectrum never exceeds the primary-beam 

spectrum. The primary beam is a single, distinct beam that consistently has the highest 

amplitude. 

13
Figure 12. Emission spectra in the primary and secondary antenna beams of the slotted 

array antenna. 

14
5 CONCLUSIONS

Radar antennas that form a beam using the phase differences between multiple discrete 

radiating apertures, such as slotted arrays and patch arrays, typically will not form the 

main beam of radiation in a fixed direction in space relative to the antenna structure as 

the frequency of the radiation changes through the emission spectrum. This frequencydependent squint-angle effect is predicted theoretically as a first-order effect for nonsymmetrically fed arrays (such as end-fed slotted arrays), and may still occur even for 

symmetrically fed arrays (such as center-fed patch arrays) as an apparent second-order 

effect. 

A measurement technique has been developed to observe and measure this effect 

throughout the measurement of wideband emission spectra of radar transmitters. Example 

measurements using the technique have shown both the effects described above for endfed slotted array and patch array antennas. 

Due to these effects, radiated radar spectrum emission measurements should be 

performed while radar beams are rotated (or otherwise scanned) through space in a 

normal operational mode, using standard stepped-frequency techniques [1-2]. 

The measurement technique described in this report may be generally applied to the 

characterization of radar antenna patterns across wide frequency ranges. The data may be 

useful and necessary in some electromagnetic compatibility analyses. Such data may be 

acquired simultaneously with the acquisition of radiated radar emission spectra; no time 

is lost in this type of measurement relative to a spectrum-only measurement. The only 

additional cost is the requirement for the use of a second spectrum analyzer and antenna 

during the measurement and the required analysis software. 

15
6 REFERENCES 

[1] F.H. Sanders, R.L. Hinkle, and B.J. Ramsey, “Measurement procedures for the 

Radar Spectrum Engineering Criteria,” NTIA Report TR-05-420, Mar. 2005. 

[2] ITU-R Recommendation M.1177, “Techniques for measurement of unwanted 

emissions of radar systems,” International Telecommunication Union, 

Radiocommunication Sector, 2003. 

[3] F.H. Sanders, “Bandwidth dependence of emission spectra of selected pulsed-CW 

radars,” NTIA Technical Memorandum TM-05-431, Aug. 2005. 

[4] F.H. Sanders and B.J. Ramsey, “Comparison of radar spectra on varying azimuths 

relative to the base of the antenna rotary joint,” NTIA Technical Memorandum 

TM-05-430, Aug. 2005. 

[5] R.J. Mailloux, Phased Array Antenna Handbook, Boston: Artech House, 1994, 

pp. 292-296. 

[6] T. Itoh, “Waveguides and resonators,” Reference Data for Engineers, M. Van 

Valkenburg, ed., Boston: Newnes, 1998, p. 30-4. 

[7] J.D. Krauss, Antennas, Second Edition, New York: McGraw-Hill, 1988. 

16
17
18
FORM NTIA-29 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

(4-80) NAT’L. TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION 

BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA SHEET 

1. PUBLICATION NO. 

TR-06-436 

2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient’s Accession No. 

5. Publication Date 

December 2005 

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 

Phased Array Antenna Pattern Variation with Frequency and 

Implications for Radar Spectrum Measurements 6. Performing Organization Code 

NTIA/ITS 

7. AUTHOR(S) 

Frank H. Sanders and Bradley J. Ramsey 

9. Project/Task/Work Unit No. 

511 3105011-300 

8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS 

NTIA/ITS.T 

U.S. Department of Commerce 

325 Broadway 

Boulder, CO 80305 

10. Contract/Grant No. 

11. Sponsoring Organization Name and Address 12. Type of Report and Period Covered 

14. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 

15. ABSTRACT (A 200-word or less factual summary of most significant information. If document includes a significant bibliography or 

literature survey, mention it here.) 

Measured antenna patterns of an end-fed slotted waveguide antenna and a phased-array patch 

antenna used in maritime radionavigation radars across the frequency range 8500-10800 MHz 

are presented along with a measurement technique that characterizes the antenna patterns as a 

function of frequency. The frequency-dependent variation in the measured pattern of the slotted 

waveguide is compared to the frequency dependence of an ideal pattern based on the slot 

geometry. The implications for radar emissions measurement techniques are discussed. 

16. Key Words (Alphabetical order, separated by semicolons) 

radar antenna pattern; radar emission measurement techniques; radar phased array antennas; Radar Spectrum Engineering Criteria (RSEC); squint 

angle 

18. Security Class. (This report) 20. Number of pages 

101 

17. AVAILABILITY STATEMENT 

 UNLIMITED. 

19. Security Class. (This page) 21. Price: 

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