A system having a steerable antenna coupled to a temperature-dependent driver.
The driver has a shape-memory element fabricated using a shape-memory alloy (SMA)
and having the ability to change its shape as a function of temperature. The element
is adapted to steer the antenna to improve signal reception and is controlled by
a control circuit, which resistively heats the element while using the strength
of the electrical signal generated by the antenna in response to a received radio-frequency
signal as a feedback signal. The temperature of the element is adjusted to optimize
the signal strength. Systems of the invention may enable customer-performed antenna
alignment and are relatively simple and inexpensive to implement.