Patent ID: 8098189

Claim:
An antenna system for a weather radar system, comprising: a first antenna portion; and a second antenna portion, the polarization of the first antenna portion being orthogonal to the polarization of the second antenna portion, wherein the first antenna portion and the second antenna portion are physically interlaced to occupy the same volume and include a first waveguide array and a second waveguide array, wherein first waveguides in the first waveguide array are arranged interstitially with respect to second waveguides in the second waveguide array, wherein the first waveguides are taller than the second waveguides and the second waveguides are broader than the first waveguide, wherein the first waveguides include at least two internally disposed ridge elements and the second waveguides include at least one internally disposed ridge element, the ridge elements being elements extending longitudinally down its respective waveguide, wherein the ridge element in the first waveguides are disposed at a height coplanar with a top surface of the second waveguides and the ridge elements of the second waveguide is disposed on a bottom surface opposite the top surface in a plane bisecting the second waveguide.