RAVEN transmitting dish with secondary reflector

[polgyver]

Our next-door neighbour, who was for some time planning to set up a dish to view programs from 97 W, finally got a dish from her employer.
As I promised, long time ago, to help with installation, she brought this dish to us.
I've never seen such a dish before.
Will be interesting to tinker with it.
Checked on Google, images, there are lots of dishes, but nothing on double reflector.
The secondary reflector is flat (not concave). Seems is saves the length of LNBF bar.
Overall, very heavy and sturdy design.
Most likely, will "copy" the position of LNBF "face" and, after removal of transmitter, install standard LNBF.
Any other use for this dish? Cheers, polgyver

 

[Magic Static]

A WildBlue dish I picked up one of those to play with last summer. This is what I would call an "Advanced FTA Project" Some engineering required But this is right up your alley

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Yup a Wildblue dish it is.

Fun to tinker with but nothing I would want for my main FTA dish.

 

[KE4EST]

See this thread where I did played with one on FTA a few years ago.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/271692-WildBlue-Dish-Converted-to-FTA?highlight=wildblue+fta

 

[Cham]

Should work great for Ku since it is made for transmitting on Ka, a higher frequency range than most of our FTA signals. Have seen a couple of these dishes on the local kajiij but they want too much, usually $100 or more. Should be able to fit a regular LNBF bracket in where the existing feed horn is located, I am sure Polgyver can get it working if anyone can! Get out that mig welder!

 

[danristheman]

got a better idea for that dish go looking for KA band channels since it has a tria on it use the Micro HD with that dish.

Dan rose

 

[olliec420]

got a better idea for that dish go looking for KA band channels since it has a tria on it use the Micro HD with that dish. Dan rose

could you use the micro with that? What would you set the l.o. and stuff to when doing ka? And can the micro power that tria?

 

[KE4EST]

The microHD has a LO setting for ka band, 18050, but I doubt it will power a tria.

 

[Magic Static]

The TRIA (transmit/receive integrated assembly) requires 21 volts. You would need a power inserter to run it from the microHD

 

[polgyver]

Update with annotated pictures:

 

[RimaNTSS]

That is Gregorian-type of antenna. Subreflector is a cut from rotation ellipsoid and has 2 focuses. Usually performance of Gregory is about 20% better than usual offset antenna due to good elimination of sidelobes and also crosspolarization. I have an idea to make subreflector for my offset 1,8m Prodelin.

 

[T4Runner]

I Thought a special reflective type LNB is required for these types of dishes?


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[Jim S.]

Only if you're using a circular LNB and a receiver you can't reprogram. Horizontal and vertical in a mirror is still horizontal and vertical.

 

[polgyver]

That is Gregorian-type of antenna. Subreflector is a cut from rotation ellipsoid and has 2 focuses. Usually performance of Gregory is about 20% better than usual offset antenna due to good elimination of sidelobes and also crosspolarization. I have an idea to make subreflector for my offset 1,8m Prodelin.

In this case, the "Raven" dish has flat sub-reflector, made of aluminum (somewhat disappointing for me, as I wanted to use other small mirrors glued to magnets).
Finally, used one larger round mirror, it fit snugly on the sub-reflector, held by masking tape

 

[polgyver]

Scott is right, this Raven dish is just "so-so" for FTA.
Today learned that the best S/Q is when focal spot is on the face of LNBF, not somewhere deeper, under the plastic shield.
Pictures follow.