Prime Focus Feed Description Sheet

Antenna Downlink, Inc. (ADL) established in 1979 by Gerry and Virginia Blachley, to develop, test and manufacture antenna and feed systems.  In 1982, we decided to concentrate on only one type of product...Antenna Feeds.  We use a dual Hybrid mode feed as our primary design because of its superior carrier to noise ratio performance and terrestrial interference rejection.  The company builds a complete line of C-band (both linear and circular polarized), Ku-Band, and S-Band feeds, as well as a line of adjustable scalar feeds.  ADL has been granted four U.S. Patents and has additional pending patent applications in the U.S., Canada, Japan, and Europe.

In February of 2002, Patriot Antenna Systems purchased the Internationally known feed company. Production facilities have been moved from ADL’s parent company in Simi Valley, California, to Patriot’s manufacturing facility in Albion, Michigan. 

Due to this acquisition, Patriot Antenna Systems now carries over 30 different types of feeds for both circular and linear polarities in both C and Ku frequencies.  These products further Patriot’s promise to be the one-stop source for complete turnkey satellite receive systems.

New technologies must be utilized in today's competitive market. ADL's^® decision not to build a scalar feed as our first product line, was based on the fact that the choke plate (scalar) feed design was old technology.  In 1979 the TVRO industry was looking for an inexpensive antenna feed; what happened then, is what happens all too often: an old idea is dusted off, "renamed," and low and behold we have a new product, "the scalar feed;" or do we?  The history books say our "new friend," the scalar feed, is nothing more than an "alias" for the choke plate feed design, that had been used in the 1950s, and 1960s with varying degrees of success.  The design has been shown to be defenseless to terrestrial interference ("TI"), and cannot take advantage of controlled moding, thereby limiting its performance.

Extraordinary progress has been made in feed design since the 1960s by the aerospace industry.  One design was of particular interest, a dual mode "SMART-FEED."  The advantages were tremendous, "terrestrial interference rejection," carrier to noise ratios and "side lobe performance were major improvements" due to controlled "Dual Moding."  The "SMART-FEED" now named the RP1 Dual Hybrid had been tested.
In 1986 the TVRO Industry had to have a co-borsight feed.  It was an awkward time for A.D.L.® as the capital was not there to hire a Research and Development team to design the new feed; what was there, was the desire and determination.  In February 1987, the Satellite Industry saw the first true non compromised high performance CKU Centerline® feed that was not only superior in performance, but was reasonably priced.
The natural way to plot an intelligent growth of a Company is to include all products that relate to its industry.  In 1993 and after 10 years, A.D.L.® added the RP3 series Scalar feed to the product line, with resounding applause and acceptance.