Abstract: In an antenna device comprising an antenna block which can electrically control a direction of a radio wave transmitted or received by the antenna device, a phase shift unit is connected to the antenna block to phase shift an external electric signal or an internal electric signal given to or from the antenna device. The phase shift unit has variable and discrete phase shifts switched from one to another in response to a control signal supplied from a controller and supplies a phase shifted external signal to the antenna block or a phase shifted internal signal to an external device. The antenna block comprises a plurality of antenna elements and a plurality of phase shifters which are connected to the antenna elements to send the phase shifted external signal to the respective antenna elements or to send the internal electric signal to the phase shift unit.

Abstract: In a tracking system for a stationary satellite, a phased array is used for an antenna mounted on an automobile. The phased array antenna has a sharp beam which is switched between two different directions in azimuth. The antenna beam is switched between the two directions periodically by control of phase constants in a feeding circuit of the antenna and comparison is made in strength between signals received before and after the beam switching to obtain an error signal as an azimuth error signal. Then, the antenna is mechanically moved in azimuth according to the azimuth error signal until the azimuth error signal becomes zero. In a case the antenna beam is also switched between two directions in elevation, the antenna beam is switched in elevation during an interval between successive two times of the beam switching operation in azimuth and detects a difference in strength of signals received before and after the switching in elevation to thereby produce the difference as an elevation error signal.