Abstract: A saddle bag cooling system is provided. The saddle bag cooling system is for keeping contents retained therein cool, wherein the system embodies a center pad dimensioned and adapted so that when lain on a horseback a middle portion of the center pad is adjacent to and upward of a spine of the horseback, and the end portions are generally parallel to each other yet transverse relative to the middle portion. The center pad removably connects to a center bag and two coolers, each cooler adapted to retain a temperature less than the ambient air and removably connectable to one of two opposing end portions.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a method to generate large numbers of spot beams for multiple-beam satellite systems using smaller apertures. This is done by dividing the basic spot beam that has 3 to 4 dB of gain drop within the beam into a number of smaller 1-dB sub-beams. This has the effect of reducing the required peak gain for the antenna by 2–3 dB, thus reducing its size by as much as 50%. The frequency band allocated to the basic beam will be divided among the sub-beams. However, the frequency re-use among the basic beams can be maintained. Frequency allocations have to be coordinated among all beams. This concept is especially applicable to phased arrays using digital beam formers. The DBF complexity is a function of the number of array elements, and is less dependent on the number of beams. Reducing the array size, and consequently reducing the number of elements helps in reducing the complexity, power and mass of the DBF.

Abstract: This invention describes a method to generate large numbers of spot beams for multiple-beam satellite systems using smaller apertures. This is done by dividing the basic spot beam that has 3 to 4 dB of gain drop within the beam into a number of smaller 1-dB sub-beams. This has the effect of reducing the required peak gain for the antenna by 2-3 dB, thus reducing its size by as much as 50%. The frequency band allocated to the basic beam will be divided among the sub-beams. However, the frequency re-use among the basic beams can be maintained. Frequency allocations have to be coordinated among all beams. This concept is especially applicable to phased arrays using digital beam formers. The DBF complexity is a function of the number of array elements, and is less dependent on the number of beams. Reducing the array size, and consequently reducing the number of elements helps in reducing the complexity, power and mass of the DBF.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to reducing the number of components required to minimize intermodulation distortion within the wide transmission frequency band used by a satellite communications repeater system. In particular, at least two TM.sub.010 mode cavity is cascaded to a plurality of TE.sub.113 mode cavities to form a narrow band-pass, wide band-stop filter for receiving and outputting channel signals to the multiplexer manifold of a satellite repeater. The filter thus constructed realizes the narrow band-pass response required in microwave communications, while eliminating the spurious resonance frequencies normally eliminated by additional filter components. In this manner, the size and weight considerations of the satellite system are improved without loss in performance.

Abstract: The relative positions of the cavities in known single or dual mode multiple coupled cavity waveguide bandpass filters are rotated to achieve new filter structures in which the primary cavity couplings remain intact while the secondary couplings are shifted. The cavity rotation provides design flexibility since the input and output ports can now be taken from the same side of the filter structure. An additional advantage in dual mode filters is that the rotation permits the physical separation of input and output cavities, thereby providing increased isolation and eliminating spurious out-of-band coupling.

Abstract: Multiple coupled high Q cavities are used to generate odd order elliptic function band-pass filters using a minimum number of cavities connected by simple and resonant coupling elements. A specific embodiment of a 3-pole, 20 MHz band-pass wave guide cavity filter centered at 3890 MHz is disclosed. Couplings between cavities may be either on the end walls or the side walls. The simple coupling elements may be simple coupling holes, and the resonant coupling elements may be a non-shorting screw in a window between cavities.