International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 25-28, 1993 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / Frequently a requirement exists to track sounding rockets or balloons from remote locations which have no radar capability. Occasionally, there is also a requirement to provide an alternative to radar tracking at those locations where it exists. TRADAT VI satisfies both requirements by providing vehicle positional from telemetry. In addition, it also provides real-time trajectory plots by its graphical display.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 17-20, 1994 / Town & Country Hotel and Conference Center, San Diego, California / The design of a telemetry tracking system is generally centered around its desired RF performance which is typically specified in terms of beamwidth, gain and/or G/T. These parameters determine the size of the reflector used in a given application and consequently dictate the required size and performance of the associated pedestal. Any subsequent improvement in the RF performance of such a system is primarily achieved by increasing the size of its reflector. The magnitude of the improvement realized is therefore limited by the load handling capability of the pedestal. In most instances, the substitution of a larger reflector with its increased inertia and wind loading causes a significant degradation in the dynamic performance of the tracking system. This paper describes how the figure of merit (G/T) of a specific dual axis telemetry tracking system can be improved by a minimum of 7.3 dB/K° without impacting its dynamic performance or increasing its weight. These impressive results are made feasible by the innovative pairing of a unique design planar reflector with a novel implementation of the conical scanner technology. The FLAPS™ reflector incorporates a newly developed concept which features lightweight construction and very low wind load coefficients [1, 2]. The conical scanner is a lightweight version of the DECS tracking feed system described in the referenced technical paper [3].

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / November 04-07, 1991 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / Early in the 1980s White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) began studying the problem of updating the Telemetry Tracking Systems (TTS) used to support test range missions. The information and equipment available at that time indicated that very little technology advancement had occurred in the area of TTS. Because the TTS usually have a long service life, it was imperative that the new or updated systems be as good as the state-of-the-art in todays technology could produce. Because of the lack of technology advancements, it was evident that drastic measures would be required to achieve the objectives of the update effort. These findings resulted in a program called the Advanced Telemetry Tracking System Integration and Development (ATTSID). Its objective was to determine if it was possible to apply advanced computer technology to the solution of servosystem problems characteristic in most TTS. This paper and three related papers, The Advanced Telemetry Tracking Servosystem; An Automated Testing System for a Telemetry Tracking System; and The Microcomputer-based Digital Controller for the Advanced Telemetry Tracking System; document the objectives, design considerations, fabrication and evaluation of a prototype TTS. It utilizes a dedicated computer system to control, compensate the servo position loop, and provide automated testing of the servo and RF receiving systems. This computer system was installed and evaluated in one of the WSMR Transportable Telemetry Acquisition Systems (TTAS) for evaluation and refinement of the system. The results of this program will determine the evolution of TTS and extend the use of computer technology to providing more reliable and accurate telemetry tracking support of test range operations.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 30-November 02, 1995 / Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada / This paper presents a new variable beamwidth antenna designed for use in telemetry tracking systems when a high gain/low gain antenna configuration is required. This antenna can be commanded to continuously vary its beamwidth between a high gain/narrow beamwidth mode of operation and a low gain/ wide beamwidth mode of operation. A design goal of a 4:1 increase in beamwidth has been set and a 3.0:1 increase has been achieved without causing any significant degradation in the shape of the antenna patterns and without generating exceedingly high sidelobes in the low gain setting. The beamwidth variation occurs continuously without any loss of data, boresight shift or jitter such as experienced with the operation of conventional implementations of the high gain/low gain antenna technique.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 30-November 02, 1995 / Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada / The use of low windload FLAPS™ antennas in telemetry tracking systems yields sizable savings in system cost due to the reduced requirements imposed on the pedestal assembly and on the underlying support structure. Traditionally the use of these antennas has been limited to applications in which frequency bandwidths did not exceed 10-13%. This paper describes a variation of the FLAPS™ technology which allows operation over bandwidths in excess of 35% and makes it usable in broadband systems. Two new applications are feasible: one for a ground based telemetry system operating in the 1435-1850 or 1750-2400 MHz band and one for a shipboard satellite communication system operating in the 4000-6000 MHz band.

The mechanisms and functions of shark grouping behaviour have received relatively little scientific attention to date. The current widespread use of social network analysis to study animal groups, in concert with rapid advances in animal tracking technology, now allows us to test specific hypotheses about how and why sharks form groups. This thesis uses replicated laboratory experiments to investigate some of the mechanisms underpinning aggregation in a model species of benthic, oviporous elasmobranch, the small spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula L. 1758; Scyliorhinidae). Acoustic tracking of this species in the wild is also conducted to explore how network analyses can be adopted to study the localized movements, habitat connectivity and ranging behaviour of adult sharks. Groups of juvenile S. canicula were characterized by non-random social preferences, crucially, only when individuals were familiar with one another suggesting social recognition is important in young sharks of this species. Genetic analyses of parent and offspring DNA revealed very high levels of multiple paternity in this species, likely due to male sexual harassment and multiple mating, which leads to increased genetic diversity between juvenile sharks. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there was no evidence of kin relatedness structuring social interactions between conspecifics. Furthermore, testing the effects of environment on social behaviour provided evidence that these juveniles aggregated more in structurally complex environments than simple ones. However, at the individual level sharks showed consistency in their social network positions through time and across different habitat types. This result is indicative of personality traits in S. canicula. Using data gathered via passive acoustic telemetry of wild shark behaviour, network analysis provided a useful tool with which to quantify movement between receivers. One chapter has been dedicated to the application of these methods, highlighting a number of different analyses for predicting movement behaviour from such data. Finally, these methods were adopted to address ecological questions in this sexually segregated species. Persistent site fidelity to a localised inshore area by both male and female sharks suggested that segregation occurred at a relatively small spatial and temporal scale. Despite strong evidence of segregation, analyses of movement networks and individual co-occurrences revealed distinct periods of behavioural synchronicity during the months of March, April and May. In addition, habitat complexity appeared to be a significant driver of female behavioural strategy. Enhancing our knowledge of the social and environmental drivers of aggregation and movement in sharks is of great importance given the ecological threat facing many of our ocean’s top elasmobranch predators.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 26-29, 1998 / Town & Country Resort Hotel and Convention Center, San Diego, California / Three-channel monopulse tracking receiver systems are commonly used for high performance tracking of satellites, missiles, or aircraft to maximize the reception of data. Typically, the receiver in such systems are custom designed for their end purpose. This results in a high cost to cover the development, service, and support of a highly specialized piece of equipment. This paper covers the requirements and performance of a 3-channel monopulse tracking receiver assembled from commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment. Such a system provides an option for designing or upgrading tracking stations with the lower cost, larger support base, and greater system configuration choices that are available with COTS equipment.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 28-31, 1996 / Town and Country Hotel and Convention Center, San Diego, California / Several different kinds of signal are transmitted through only one carrier in microwave unified telemetry tracking & control system(MUTTCS), which has replaced separate system to accomplish all TT&C functions, and has been widely used now. This paper analyses the advantages and disadvantages of general subcarrier frequency-division MUTTCS, then the principle and performances of advanced spread spectrum MUTTCS(SS-MUTTCS) are discussed in detail. The inherent ranging ability of PN code and the speciality of spread spectrum modulation realize the complete unification including measurement of range, velocity and angle as well as telemetry, telecontrol and communication functions. At the same time, the contradiction between range and velocity measurement in precision, resolution and measuring range can be solved. With CDMA technology, the signal and equipment of multi-target or multi-station TT&C can be unified easily. SS-MUTTCS operates under low S/N, low threshold, low power spectrum density and wide spectrum range, so it meet the requirements of electronic warfare and ECM, with high performance of safety, security, anti-intercept and anti-interference. Therefore, SSMUTTCS is becoming an important trend of modern vehicle TT&C system.

Thesis (MScEng (Electrical and Electronic Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis involves research on wildlife telemetry tracking for the Cape Leopard Trust (CLT). The CLT needed a network to transfer GPS data and single frame photos from remote locations in the Cederberg to a researcher's base station. The proposed solution is an ad hoc wireless network, where nodes perform polling of leopard collars and send information via the multi-hop network to the researcher's base once it is downloaded from a collar. The literature study involved medium access control - and routing protocols for e ectively transferring information. The solution was implemented in hardware and range tests were done in the Cederberg to determine feasible locations for nodes in this network for covering most of the CLT study area. Link budgets for this area was determined with Radio Mobile to compare with actual ranges as measured. The simulation of protocols was done in OMNET++ which could be compared with actual results from the physical network. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis handel oor navorsing wat gedoen is vir die Kaapse Luipaard Trust (CLT) vir die opsporing van luipaarde. Die CLT het 'n netwerk nodig gehad wat GPS data en enkel raam fotos van afgeleë gebiede in die Cederberge na 'n navorser se basis stuur. Die voorgestelde oplossing is 'n ad hoc draadlose netwerk, waar nodisse luipaard nekbande oproep om data af te laai en dan te stuur deur die multi-hop netwerk na die navorser se basis. Die literatuurstudie handel oor medium toegangs beheer - en roete verkryging protokolle vir die effektiewe oordrag van informasie. Die oplossing is in hardeware geïmplimenteer en radio-afstand-toetse is gedoen in die Cederberge om goedgeleë posisies vir nodisse te bepaal om die grootste gedeelte van die CLT studie area te dek. Radio Mobile is gebruik om voorspellings te maak rakende die afstande verkrygbaar tussen radios om te vergelyk met die fisiese metings in die veld. Die simulasie van protokolle is gedoen in OMNET++ en vergelyk met prestasie metings op die fisiese netwerk.