Accurate numerical optimization based on rigorous solution of the integral equation using the method of analytical regularization is performed for a cylindrical reflector antenna in a dielectric radome. It is shown that the multiple scattering in this system is more significant for the optimum radome design than any nonplane-wave effects or the curvature of the radome. We claim that, although the common half-wavelength design is a good approximation to avoid negative effects of the radome (such as the loss of the antenna directivity), one can, by carefully playing with the radome thickness, its radius, reflector location, and the position of the feed, improve the reflector-in-radome antenna performance (e.g., increase the directivity) with respect to the same reflector in free-space.
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