A MOBILE SATELLITE NEWS GATHERING SYSTEM USING A FLAT ANTENNA

We propose a mobile SNG (Satellite News Gathering) RF terminal that tr ansmits TV programs from a ship or a vehicle to a broadcasting center in real time via a communications satellite, The terminal consists of a transmitter using beam steering flat antenna with 16 subarrays and o f a turntable and pitch-roll stabilizer for mechanical tracking. The a ntenna beam is steered according to a received beacon signal, and rapi d tracking with an accuracy of 0.05 degrees can be achieved even if sl ant angles in the pitch and roll of the ship in which the terminal is set, are +/-10 degrees and +/-15 degrees. We demonstrated the good per formance of the terminal by transmitting a TV program from a ship in T okyo Bay.