Operating Characteristics of the Maryland Point 85-Foot Radio Telescope at Low Frequencies

Abstract

The following report results from a study of the characteristics of the NRL operated Maryland Point 85' radio telescope, located near Nanjemoy, MD. This study was made in Fall1987 by Brian Tracey and Mike DeVries.. The Maryland point antenna is currently operating in the S and X frequency bands, about 11 and 3.6 cm. wave length respectively.. Three areas of antenna performance were of special interest: 1) The performance of the computer-controlled antenna pointing system over a wide range of the sky; 2) The resolution of the antenna and size of its main beam; 3) The efficiency of the antenna in gathering energy from radio sources. Four radio sources were chosen as calibrators and observations were made of them from horizon to horizon. The resulting data were analyzed. We concluded that the antenna is performing as expected, with several small inaccuracies In the pointing system.