A magnetic resonance imaging system for imaging a portion of a subject comprising: - a magnet for generating a main magnetic field, wherein the main magnetic field has a homogeneous field zone; - an antenna (124, 900, 1000) with an imaging zone, wherein there is a fixed geometric relationship between the antenna and the portion of the subject when the subject is mounted in the imaging zone; - a radio frequency system (114, 116, 124) for generating a radio frequency pulse, wherein the radio frequency system is further operable for measuring a radio frequency signal (606, 704, 804) from the portion of the subject using the antenna; - a magnetic gradient field system (110, 112) for generating a gradient magnetic field; - a patient support (120, 122) for automatically moving the antenna and the portion of the subject from outside of the homogeneous field zone to within the homogeneous field zone along a movement axis; - a memory (140, 142) containing machine executable instructions (180, 182, 184, 186, 188); - a processor for controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system, wherein execution of the instructions causes the processor to: • control the patient support to move the antenna and the portion of the subject from outside of the homogeneous field zone to within the homogeneous field zone along the movement axis; • control the radio frequency system to repeatedly generate the radio frequency pulse; • control the magnetic gradient field system to generate the gradient magnetic field during movement of the subject support only along the movement axis, wherein the gradient magnetic field along the movement axis is applied as a constant gradient magnetic field during movement of the subject support; • control the radio frequency system to repeatedly measure the radio frequency signal from the portion of the subject using the antenna; • determine a current location of the antenna or of the imaging zone using the radio frequency signal; and • control the patient support to decelerate and halt at a predetermined location within the homogeneous field zone using the current location. - a magnet for generating a main magnetic field, wherein the main magnetic field has a homogeneous field zone; - an antenna (124, 900, 1000) with an imaging zone, wherein there is a fixed geometric relationship between the antenna and the portion of the subject when the subject is mounted in the imaging zone; - a radio frequency system (114, 116, 124) for generating a radio frequency pulse, wherein the radio frequency system is further operable for measuring a radio frequency signal (606, 704, 804) from the portion of the subject using the antenna; - a magnetic gradient field system (110, 112) for generating a gradient magnetic field; - a patient support (120, 122) for automatically moving the antenna and the portion of the subject from outside of the homogeneous field zone to within the homogeneous field zone along a movement axis; - a memory (140, 142) containing machine executable instructions (180, 182, 184, 186, 188); - a processor for controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system, wherein execution of the instructions causes the processor to: • control the patient support to move the antenna and the portion of the subject from outside of the homogeneous field zone to within the homogeneous field zone along the movement axis; • control the radio frequency system to repeatedly generate the radio frequency pulse; • control the magnetic gradient field system to generate the gradient magnetic field during movement of the subject support only along the movement axis, wherein the gradient magnetic field along the movement axis is applied as a constant gradient magnetic field during movement of the subject support; • control the radio frequency system to repeatedly measure the radio frequency signal from the portion of the subject using the antenna; • determine a current location of the antenna or of the imaging zone using the radio frequency signal; and • control the patient support to decelerate and halt at a predetermined location within the homogeneous field zone using the current location. • control the patient support to move the antenna and the portion of the subject from outside of the homogeneous field zone to within the homogeneous field zone along the movement axis; • control the radio frequency system to repeatedly generate the radio frequency pulse; • control the magnetic gradient field system to generate the gradient magnetic field during movement of the subject support only along the movement axis, wherein the gradient magnetic field along the movement axis is applied as a constant gradient magnetic field during movement of the subject support; • control the radio frequency system to repeatedly measure the radio frequency signal from the portion of the subject using the antenna; • determine a current location of the antenna or of the imaging zone using the radio frequency signal; and • control the patient support to decelerate and halt at a predetermined location within the homogeneous field zone using the current location.