[amsat-bb] Re: 10' Dish available

[Robert Bruninga]

> Wow, Gunther!  That is a lot of antenna.  How are you going 
> point that monster?  
> Remember, once you can hear the noise floor of the
transponder, then 
> additional gain is, well, not needed very much, let's say
(HI).
>
> >With the coming of the next group of HEO satellites I am 
> >checking if there is any interest in a 10' Weingard mesh
dish. 

Having collected old 10' dishes myself (with no practical
applications), I can add these comments too:
1) The dish is "overkill" for the simple reason, that AMSAT
would not be designing any transpondrs that would "require" that
kind of gain, otherwise very few people could use the satellite.
SO AMSAT designs for smaller more practical size dishes, lets
say up to 1 meter or maybe 4 feet or so in size.

2) But this means that the 10' dish can uaually be broken up
into 4 quadrants and 4 reasonable sized amateur radio dishs can
result.  Being 1/4th the size and 1/4th the mass, it is easier
to build a mount and tracking system.  And the quadrant will
work just as well as any other approximate 1 meter antenna with
the proper feed.

See my web page (near the bottom) on the subject:
 http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/amsat-ideas.html

Bob, WB4APR