random ideas

[gopher2]

Hello everyone.
Just thought i would throw some random questions and ideas out there...

wondering since BUD's have mesh for reflector, why dont ku only dishes? seemes like they would be lighter... Is it a issue with gain?
Any one know what the smallest possible ku dish is?
how about making a satellite dish from scratch?
is it possible to use a through the window antenna connector for a satellite dish?

 

[scottc98]

Hello everyone.
Just thought i would throw some random questions and ideas out there...

wondering since BUD's have mesh for reflector, why dont ku only dishes? seemes like they would be lighter... Is it a issue with gain?
Any one know what the smallest possible ku dish is?
how about making a satellite dish from scratch?
is it possible to use a through the window antenna connector for a satellite dish?

1) I think its an issue with gain for KU. that is why some BUD dishes aren't good for KU. From what I've read, if the hole is big enough for a pencil, it not good for KU.
I don't know how much lighter it would make it, but I would think it would help in wind resistance.

2) Smallest KU dish all depends on strength of signal from a TP and physical location for a sat footprint. If we forget about the DBS sats, it normally not recommended to go below 30in. for NA sats.

3)I am sure that with the right materials and tools you can make a sat from scratch. I think its be very cool to customize one to mesh into you yard or an elipitcal one to peak multiple sats.

4) possible through a window if you replace it with plexiglass. Some windows will create a metalic interference.

 

[PSB]

The BSKYB dish in the UK are about 30" black mesh, had a 1 meter one myself they work great.

Iceberg and myself have used a DBS dish in the past for the STRONGEST KU signals up there, most other channels were unwatchable. But its a fun project.

Have a look below these guys have built their own dish!

 

[mastermesh]

Imagine a dome house made of satellite dishes...

Each of the angles of the dome aimed at different satellites... That'd be freaking cool.

GIANT PICTURE REMOVED (after PM sent)

 

[gopher2]

man those kids are smart
Im gonna make one this summer not sure how
Thinking using someones dish as a reference
mabey make a mold or wood strips...
i wonder what the best type of mesh is

 

[Das Hammer]

Do a search on this forum for replacement mesh. There was a thread somewhere where different types were discussed. Most were available at your local hardware store.

 

[123tim]

Here's something that I've given a fair amount of thought, that I decided wasn't worth the effort, given the availability of free to almost free dishes:

I noticed that the back of my fortec 90 cm dish was a perfect negative mirror image of the front. I got to thinking that if I would spray the back with some sort of non-bonding agent (such as Pam or other light oil) and then applied even coats of fiber-glas and resin, I'd get a pretty good clone of my original dish. I was then going to paint the dish with a RF reflective paint. (I also thought of embedding wire screen before the Fiber-glas, but thought better of that later.)

The problems with this (that I've come up with) are:

1.) The dish would still need a lot of reinforcement to prevent warping.

2.) The RF reflective paint (or mesh) probably wouldn't reflect RF as well as the
solid metal dish.

3.) The lnb focal length would have to be fiddled with because the dish would be
a lot thicker than the original.

I did experiment with a parabolic UHF antenna. I was going to (try to) convert it to a KU band dish. I gave up on that after several hours of inconclusive results.

You can also build a Fresnel antenna out of a flat piece of plywood. I want to do that someday....

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=48856&highlight=fresnel
http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=19263&highlight=fresnel



Good luck!
Tim

 

[123tim]

Pete,

Would you happen to have a link for the fist picture that you posted?
(The one with the boy looking out of the window.)


Thanks if you do! (Or don't.)

 

[Mr Tony]

Any one know what the smallest possible ku dish is?

I've experimented with a 24" dish and even a 18" for KU. It does get the REALLY strong transponders and your skew has to be 110% bang on. Since G11, IA6, G3, IA5 are all at same elvation and almost all at 0 skew I was able to see what I could get

Best was CCTV at 70 (nornmally 90)
Doc Scott worked as did ABCNewsNow (when it was on IA6)

 

[PSB]

Pete,

Would you happen to have a link for the fist picture that you posted?
(The one with the boy looking out of the window.)


Thanks if you do! (Or don't.)

Will see if I can find it tonight

 

[TiminMb]

I think they use solid metal for typical ku dishes because of production costs. By using solid sheet metal it can be stamped out with lips on the edges and you have a one piece, one step finished product. Like car fenders. If it was made of mesh, it wouldn't be stiff enough, and the strengthening struts would add complication and cost. The standard dish is like stamping out a garbage can lid or a metal bowl. Keeps the costs down and price / profit drives the market.

 

[Mr Tony]

wondering since BUD's have mesh for reflector, why dont ku only dishes? seemes like they would be

as noted above, mesh isnt the best for KU. If you can fit a pencil through it, it won't work right.

I use a 6 foot solid dish and PSB has a 6 foot mesh dish. I get higher readings on the G4 networks that PSB does so it has to have a correlation to it.

mesh is lighter (I use to have a 10 foot dish and I can move those 4 piecees around like nothing.)...the solid dish is much heavier

 

[Mr Tony]

gopher
Here are a few pictures of an 18" setup I had on G3 for the Chinese Channels (4th) and ABCNewsNow (5th picture)