[amsat-bb] Space Center Abandoned Dish Rehabilitation - Outreach #1

[W3AB/GEO]

Wow, what an adventure. I don't recall it being there when I was, 1966.

Looks like a VHF dish. I'm sure it has been throughly decommissioned. All the electronics, cabled & motors having been removed. But maybe not. It will be interesting to see what you discover, especially after you can read the ID plates.

Something in my neck of the woods.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamesburg_Earth_Station
We were pretty disappointed with the new owner, he bailed, but it was used as a SETI project which closed down due to lack of funds.

⁣___
Sent from my two way wrist watch
73 de W3AB/GEO​

On Aug 14, 2019, 14:12, at 14:12, Michelle Thompson via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb at amsat.org> wrote:
>A group of GNU Radio community members has permission to evaluate a
>dish
>installation in Huntsville, AL near the Space Center. If you've ever
>been
>to the Space Center (where the Saturn V is suspended from the ceiling)
>then
>this dish is right outside the main entrance. Anyone attending
>Symposium
>last year should recognize it!
>
>Here's a set of photos:
>
>https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1d_Oi3hrIi49JxmaoNuUA-pvUXOs7vSz1
>
>We're looking for technical information, identification of what you
>recognize in the photos, recommended next steps, and what to watch out
>for,
>prioritize, or avoid. We already know we want to take the paint off all
>the
>ID plates and see what's under there.
>
>We want to see if we can get this working for *amateur radio operators
>to
>access over the internet*, ideally with a GNU Radio flowgraph to
>control it
>from an SDR. Our priority is to make this work for amateur satellite.
>
>This type of setup is similar to what GNU Radio Foundation is working
>on
>with the Allen Telescope Array. We have the go-ahead from the Space
>Center
>curator to do this study and make recommendations.
>
>I have fully restored several basket-case British sports cars and then
>successfully raced them. My other team members have restored things
>even
>more challenging. We are not dumb, naive, or easily deterred. We know
>this
>may turn out to be something that requires way more work than we can do
>in
>any time frame we can manage. Documenting that is still of great value,
>and
>that is why we are asking for your help. Right now, no one knows much
>of
>anything about it. This sort of installation, if available for amateur
>radio, is well worth the effort.
>
>Some of the people involved have been driving past this installation
>for 20
>years and want to see it back in service at whatever level we can
>achieve.
>It will be discussed at GNU Radio Conference, and everyone at the
>conference will have the opportunity to see it up close and in person,
>since it's literally across the parking lot from the venue.
>
>Want to attend or find out more about GRCon?
>https://www.gnuradio.org/grcon/grcon19/
>
>If you know of someone off-list that might know details that will help,
>then please pass this along!
>
>-Michelle W5NYV + Corps of Operation Flashlight
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