Homemade Dish project - Page 2 - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums

cyberham · 2011-10-19, 05:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirtroad

Tele-Satellite magazine had articles in a February 2006 magazine on designing and making your own dish, and dealt with all the formulas required. Page 56.

The same issue also dealt with using a KU dish for C Band and mentions a Toronto DX`er who did it. Page 58.

I have these articles in .pdf format if anybody wants them emailed. Send me a private message with your address.

classicsat · 2011-10-19, 09:29 AM

The way I heard it, is if a pencil can just go through, it is okay for C band, but not Ku. If a pencil lead can just go throug, it is fine for Ku as well.

Kraven · 2011-10-19, 10:12 AM

Am curious though about the thickness of the mesh and its impact if any.
Still reading though. Am giving myself a month from today to complete this (before the snow hits)

Cheers, K

mrvanwinkles · 2011-10-19, 11:14 AM

Kraven,

Yes, I believe it is quite possible to make a home made dish.

Another member (cyberham, post #7) mentioned a home made design seen in an ARRL magazine. American Radio Relay League (?)

I too have seen a home made design in a very old ARRL book. - when I was browsing in a library.

It was, I think, 12 ft dish made of 6 ft aluminum tension tubes as the frame, and mesh.
( the theory behind the design is that rods bent and held under tension form a parabolic shape ? I think that was the idea. )

The guy was using it, I think, for personal, home, Radio Astronomy hobby (!)

Yes, I've browsed (just a little) some of the calculations and theory behind satelite dish design - and it's very interesting.

You mention, you've got a 4ft dish but wanna have one a little larger? 5ft ?
I think that one (1) extra foot makes a big difference in receive area of the dish - and therefore a big difference in the receive capability of the dish.

Idea for all: What about extending an existing dish by adding an extra foot (ex. of mesh) around the outside? Possible? But that might alter the design characteristics of the existing dish some ... for sure.

Also, I have read that the higher in frequency you go, the more accurate the parabolic shape of the dish reflector has to be, and the more smooth the surface has to be.

(i.e. for C-band frequencies, the tolerances required are "do-able" by hobbyists, but if you go up in frequency, the tolerances get smaller and much harder for hobbyists to build realisticly. But higher frequencies usually require smaller dishes anyway - as the gain of the dish based on size also increases quite a bit as frequency increases - there's a formula I have seen that shows gain vs. size based on frequency)

Very interesting stuff. I am no expert - but the theory is fascinating.

mrvanwinkles · 2011-10-19, 11:30 AM

I believe the home made 12 ft dish design was in this book:

(Found the details in another post of mine about trough reflectors.)

THE ARRL ANTENNA BOOK
copyright 1991 by
The American Radio Relay League
16th Edition
First Printing
ISBN: 0-87259-206-5

There are probably other versions and printings of the ARRL Antenna book out there. That's just the exact one I looked at in the library.

I imagined building a dish out of grey or black fibreglass, rectangular "fence spreader rods" as the tension rod frame, and some sort of mesh.

bigredneck · 2011-10-25, 12:25 PM

While watching News Casts about Afganistan a few years ago, I noticed what appeared to be home made sat dishes. I thought it was ingenious!

Kraven · 2011-11-06, 12:11 PM

Update: Project is on hold for a while... the GF delivered 6 weeks early, so most of my free time is gone for the next 18 years.

Using all the articles emailed (thanks guys) and a parabolic calculator, the frame is done. The diameter of just under 7 feet (very light but sturdy) and can be taken apart in 3 pieces.

Next step is to apply the reflective material. Ive already scouted the local hardware stores and found some interesting options. If anyone seens anything to would work...(canadian tire, rona, reno, home hardware etc..) please let me know.

Due to its light weight, mounting shouldnt be a problem. How to apply a motor though is beyond me at this point since I need a better understanding of prime focus/off-set/allignments etc....

Cheers, K

Danster · 2011-11-06, 05:28 PM

Congrats on the new baby! I'm sure you will need your time off at times so you will be able to update this thread.

Kraven · 2012-01-09, 11:41 AM

When I first left on paternity leave, I figured with 2 months off I'd have all these free time in the world to work on projects and get things done around the house....finnaly I didnt get anything accomplished!

This weekend, weather permitting, am thinking of setting up the dish outside for a test. Regarding the reflectors, would Alluminum tape make a good reflective surface? I have boxes of it at home and it would be easy to complete it.

Cheers, K

Danster · 2012-01-09, 05:28 PM

It's not the tape I'm worried but more how smooth you can make the tape to be.

Greenish Apple · 2012-01-09, 10:08 PM

I've been looking into building a 1.2-1.5m offset dish and I found that some guys in Australia have built 1.0-1.8m prime focus satellite dishes using either wood and aluminum foil-covered plywood or aluminum rod and aluminum mesh. There are a couple Canadian builders around pages 17-19. Some theory, a lot of practical info. The moderator glued aluminum foil on plywood and even though there were some small wrinkles it didn't hamper reception too much.

http://www.vetrun.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1077

Separate thread, same site, in aluminum rod and aluminum mesh:
http://www.vetrun.net/forums/showthread.php?t=5469

And a guy in the Caribbean made a wooden one (a long thread on a UK site, wanders a bit, the link goes to his construction pics):
http://www.satellites.co.uk/forums/f...tml#post835448

I found aluminum flashing at a local big box home building centre (not HD), 10 inches x 50 feet $22.99 Cdn., 14 inches x 50 feet $30.99. Their plywood is cheaper than the others too.

After C-Band satellites... cheaper to build than ship and I like to tinker. I've made an OTA antenna that gets CBC and TVO from in my attic, the other TV stations might be too far away. My TV Fool results don't look good. That's why I'm looking at FTA too.

David

HDTV101 · 2012-01-12, 06:04 PM

In a remote village, Hand-making satellite dish in Nepal

I guess you can call this one "Kat Man dooooo anything"

HDTV101 · 2012-01-12, 06:42 PM

Another amazing creation from Thailand

Bungo Pony · 2012-01-25, 07:14 PM

When I was around 6 years old, my dad tried to build a satellite dish. He took one of my mom's metal bowls, drilled holes in the edge, and used cut up coat hangers to mount the LNB (made from a ball of tin foil). His results were abysmal.

rpr · 2012-01-27, 01:16 PM

In the early 80's I used to make them for a reseller, it was a very time consuming job, even with the jigs and patterns we used. Of course I was only 14 so labour was cheap...

2011-10-25, 12:25 PM	#21
bigredneck Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: South Arkansas Posts: 196	While watching News Casts about Afganistan a few years ago, I noticed what appeared to be home made sat dishes. I thought it was ingenious! __________________ "If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy"

2011-11-06, 05:28 PM	#23
Danster Moderator Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Lincoln.NB Pop 465,123 Posts: 5,307	Congrats on the new baby! I'm sure you will need your time off at times so you will be able to update this thread. __________________ Home Theatre: Yamaha HTR-6190, Klipsch Speakers, SANYO PLV-Z4, TOSHIBA HDDVD, LG BD555C, Cerwin Vega HTS12 Sub, VIP2300, XBox 360, HTPC.

2012-01-09, 05:28 PM	#25
Danster Moderator Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Lincoln.NB Pop 465,123 Posts: 5,307	It's not the tape I'm worried but more how smooth you can make the tape to be. __________________ Home Theatre: Yamaha HTR-6190, Klipsch Speakers, SANYO PLV-Z4, TOSHIBA HDDVD, LG BD555C, Cerwin Vega HTS12 Sub, VIP2300, XBox 360, HTPC.

2012-01-09, 10:08 PM	#26
Greenish Apple Rookie Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Belleville, Ontario Posts: 6	Wooden Satellite Dishes have been made I've been looking into building a 1.2-1.5m offset dish and I found that some guys in Australia have built 1.0-1.8m prime focus satellite dishes using either wood and aluminum foil-covered plywood or aluminum rod and aluminum mesh. There are a couple Canadian builders around pages 17-19. Some theory, a lot of practical info. The moderator glued aluminum foil on plywood and even though there were some small wrinkles it didn't hamper reception too much. http://www.vetrun.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1077 Separate thread, same site, in aluminum rod and aluminum mesh: http://www.vetrun.net/forums/showthread.php?t=5469 And a guy in the Caribbean made a wooden one (a long thread on a UK site, wanders a bit, the link goes to his construction pics): http://www.satellites.co.uk/forums/f...tml#post835448 I found aluminum flashing at a local big box home building centre (not HD), 10 inches x 50 feet $22.99 Cdn., 14 inches x 50 feet $30.99. Their plywood is cheaper than the others too. After C-Band satellites... cheaper to build than ship and I like to tinker. I've made an OTA antenna that gets CBC and TVO from in my attic, the other TV stations might be too far away. My TV Fool results don't look good. That's why I'm looking at FTA too. David

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2011-10-19, 09:29 AM	#17
classicsat Veteran Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Kincardine ON. Posts: 3,953	The way I heard it, is if a pencil can just go through, it is okay for C band, but not Ku. If a pencil lead can just go throug, it is fine for Ku as well.

2011-10-19, 10:12 AM	#18
Kraven Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Shore, QC Posts: 530	Am curious though about the thickness of the mesh and its impact if any. Still reading though. Am giving myself a month from today to complete this (before the snow hits) Cheers, K

2011-10-19, 11:14 AM	#19
mrvanwinkles Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Eastern Ontario (Ottawa/Kingston) Posts: 1,381	Kraven, Yes, I believe it is quite possible to make a home made dish. Another member (cyberham, post #7) mentioned a home made design seen in an ARRL magazine. American Radio Relay League (?) I too have seen a home made design in a very old ARRL book. - when I was browsing in a library. It was, I think, 12 ft dish made of 6 ft aluminum tension tubes as the frame, and mesh. ( the theory behind the design is that rods bent and held under tension form a parabolic shape ? I think that was the idea. ) The guy was using it, I think, for personal, home, Radio Astronomy hobby (!) Yes, I've browsed (just a little) some of the calculations and theory behind satelite dish design - and it's very interesting. You mention, you've got a 4ft dish but wanna have one a little larger? 5ft ? I think that one (1) extra foot makes a big difference in receive area of the dish - and therefore a big difference in the receive capability of the dish. Idea for all: What about extending an existing dish by adding an extra foot (ex. of mesh) around the outside? Possible? But that might alter the design characteristics of the existing dish some ... for sure. Also, I have read that the higher in frequency you go, the more accurate the parabolic shape of the dish reflector has to be, and the more smooth the surface has to be. (i.e. for C-band frequencies, the tolerances required are "do-able" by hobbyists, but if you go up in frequency, the tolerances get smaller and much harder for hobbyists to build realisticly. But higher frequencies usually require smaller dishes anyway - as the gain of the dish based on size also increases quite a bit as frequency increases - there's a formula I have seen that shows gain vs. size based on frequency) Very interesting stuff. I am no expert - but the theory is fascinating.

2011-10-19, 11:30 AM	#20
mrvanwinkles Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Eastern Ontario (Ottawa/Kingston) Posts: 1,381	I believe the home made 12 ft dish design was in this book: (Found the details in another post of mine about trough reflectors.) THE ARRL ANTENNA BOOK copyright 1991 by The American Radio Relay League 16th Edition First Printing ISBN: 0-87259-206-5 There are probably other versions and printings of the ARRL Antenna book out there. That's just the exact one I looked at in the library. I imagined building a dish out of grey or black fibreglass, rectangular "fence spreader rods" as the tension rod frame, and some sort of mesh.

2011-11-06, 12:11 PM	#22
Kraven Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Shore, QC Posts: 530	Update: Project is on hold for a while... the GF delivered 6 weeks early, so most of my free time is gone for the next 18 years. Using all the articles emailed (thanks guys) and a parabolic calculator, the frame is done. The diameter of just under 7 feet (very light but sturdy) and can be taken apart in 3 pieces. Next step is to apply the reflective material. Ive already scouted the local hardware stores and found some interesting options. If anyone seens anything to would work...(canadian tire, rona, reno, home hardware etc..) please let me know. Due to its light weight, mounting shouldnt be a problem. How to apply a motor though is beyond me at this point since I need a better understanding of prime focus/off-set/allignments etc.... Cheers, K

2012-01-09, 11:41 AM	#24
Kraven Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Shore, QC Posts: 530	When I first left on paternity leave, I figured with 2 months off I'd have all these free time in the world to work on projects and get things done around the house....finnaly I didnt get anything accomplished! This weekend, weather permitting, am thinking of setting up the dish outside for a test. Regarding the reflectors, would Alluminum tape make a good reflective surface? I have boxes of it at home and it would be easy to complete it. Cheers, K

2012-01-12, 06:04 PM	#27
HDTV101 Veteran Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 2,000	In a remote village, Hand-making satellite dish in Nepal I guess you can call this one "Kat Man dooooo anything"

2012-01-12, 06:42 PM	#28
HDTV101 Veteran Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 2,000	Another amazing creation from Thailand

2012-01-25, 07:14 PM	#29
Bungo Pony Rookie Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 18	When I was around 6 years old, my dad tried to build a satellite dish. He took one of my mom's metal bowls, drilled holes in the edge, and used cut up coat hangers to mount the LNB (made from a ball of tin foil). His results were abysmal.

2012-01-27, 01:16 PM	#30
rpr Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Brampton, ON Posts: 484	In the early 80's I used to make them for a reseller, it was a very time consuming job, even with the jigs and patterns we used. Of course I was only 14 so labour was cheap...