Help Identify this Unique Folding Satellite Dish

[Titanium]

Does anyone have any info on this satellite dish?


I recently was given a portable 7.5-8' folding satellite dish and unable to find any information other than a similar design on an expired patent. There is no stamping, plates or other branding or ID.

The construction is aluminum, fiberglass rods, stainless steel wires with metal embedded fabric.

The subreflector is missing so will probably have to convert to a direct feed.

I have seen similar KU Prime focus units at NAB and Satellite Expo marketed for military communications. Never have seen this type of folding L or C-band set-up. Any information would be appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[bpalone]

Looks like something out of a Bond Movie. Might get a few strange looks when you pull that out at the KOA Campground. Maybe even a NSA visit.

 

[Brct203]

that reminds me a bit of the dishes that were used with Inmarsat A terminals (think CNN reporters during Desert Storm). Of course those used with Inmarsat were a lot smaller, but otherwise the idea was the same, I think.

 

[boba]

I associate that with Echohosphere (not DISH) and a trade show for "C" band,, probably in the 80's. I don't remember much except you could throw a ball into the mesh and it returned back to shape.

 

[SatPhreak]

I don't know any thing about that dish but it sure looks cool. Are you going to try it out Titanium?

A dish like that would be perfect for an occasional setup.

 

[lost_mesa]

BITD there was mention of a folding C Band dish, along with photos, in Coop's Satellite Digest. Don't remember the details or know if this is the same one. Could it be that old?

 

[iBoston]

I think that is a very cool dish. I'd love to see a signal from it. Is it an umbrella? is it a table umbrella? oh, no - wait, what?? It's a satellite dish..

 

[danristheman]

Nice to have if you have a HOA to deal with.

 

[Titanium]

No clue as to the age. It could be from the 80's, but it is in very good condition and stored indoors. Looks to be mil spec or ??? Very light at approx. 21lbs.

Mounting it on a heavy duty two axis security camera mount and controlling the AZ/EL via PTZ RS485 and a CCTV install meter. Skew will be with a Chapparal manual skew controller. Might try a simple Arduino project to integrate the dual axis and polarity servo controls for automatic tracking.

Trying to decide if the mount will be a truck receiver hitch insert or a surplus communications mast tripod.

Unsure why I am doing this project or how it will be used, but for now my goal is to have it on display as eye candy for our ham radio club Field Day in June. Automating the AZ/EL for continuous arc sweep and light the feed and parabola with blue projection LED lamps.

Will post photos and videos as the project progresses.

 

[danristheman]

Hot damn i just remeber this dish from a youtube video.

 

[Titanium]

danristheman very cool! Definitely similar and likely from the same manufacturer. The mast mount looks identical.

Now to figure out who made the kit. Probably Coop's Satellite Digest will be the resource to solve the mystery.

 

[danristheman]

It hit me while i am sitting here at the bar eating fries and cheeseburger.

 

[Phalaenopsis]

Brian, I dont know if this helps at all but there’s a 1.2 meter Inmarsat dish that looks kinda similar to yours.

 

[thedishking]

I actually have one of those in storage at a relative's house in SD from when we cleared out a property years ago.

The front reflector looked like a metal serving plate with a plastic piece protruding from it, supported by 3 legs.
With single polarity LNB that twisted in the back, almost like a cassegrain type of an antenna.
There is also a fancy chrome tripod that went along with it, that folded up like the antenna does.

There was a round pivot that bolted to the frame and this "sat" in the tripod.

It will be several months before I am back to where this is located, but I do remember using this in the mid '90s as a site survey antenna for real restricted sites (trees, etc).

If you can hang on for a while, I should be able to get you some measurements of plate that is on front of antenna.

Travis

 

[MosFET77]

Hot damn i just remeber this dish from a youtube video.

Dan the man does it again! lol Loved the video! Thanks! for sharing although looking down from that height gave me gitters! lol

 

[Titanium]

thedishking wow! Great info! I'm not planning any destructive modifications, so it might be possible to duplicate the sub reflector.

Thanks!

 

[Horsepower]

Wow that is interesting. I have no idea what it is, but I bet it cost a fortune!

 

[N6BY]

It looks a lot like this one: https://twitter.com/ibelings/status/962699524392267777 But its missing the helical feed. They were intended for Inmarsat Std-A and Std-B service.

It was probably made by MCI/TCS or Magnavox. Here's some more information about it: Re: how to find Inmarsat umbrella dishes

Umbrella dishes are highly sought after by many hobbyists and are worth a lot.

 

[Titanium]

I had initially researched Inmarsat but I don't believe that it was an Inmarsat dish due to the larger size and as it has a CPR229 LNB mount on the rear from the waveguide. The design is similar though to the 1.2m Magnavox, but uses a wire hub to shape the parabola when tensioned.

 

[Brct203]

I had initially researched Inmarsat but I don't believe that it was an Inmarsat dish due to the larger size and as it has a CPR229 LNB mount on the rear from the waveguide. The design is similar though to the 1.2m Magnavox, but uses a wire hub to shape the parabola when tensioned.

Good point - Inmarsat would have been for L-Band, so a very different LNA/LNB. And it seems the Inmarsat Std-A dishes were in the 1 meter - maybe 1.5 meter range