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Tracking antenna

Posted by naish on April 24, 2012 at 9:30pm

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Hi guys!
In the last few months I have been working to develop an advanced tracking antenna for my new CGS. Unfortunately I haven't got no more time to finish this project, so I decided to release it Free to the community....

Basic Mechanics feature:
•    24dBi High gain dish antenna
•    9° Horizontal –vertical  beam
•    360° Endless pan - 180° Tilt
•    0,006° Pan Resolution ( microstep mode)
•    0,05° Tilt Resolution (microstep mode)
•    High torque speed stepper motors
•    Precise bearings ad belts, for smoother operation.
•    2D construction (no need of 3 axis cnc)
•    Cheap alloy-pvc-fiberglass
•    Car roof mounting
•    7kg weight

Basic electronics feature:
•    Integrated processor for standalone operation
•    Single usb connection

•    Integrated Serial usb converter for datalink
•    Dual precise stepper drivers, low noise
•    AHRS for stabilize the antenna
•    10Hz GPS
•    Electronic tilt compensated Compass
•    Internal lipo battery

The Electronics is almost done, just need to be checked again ( is the first PCB I develop).
In attachment a ZIP with all the files inside.

Unfortunately as you see on this post, my written English is very bad! I will try to give an help (as best I can) to answer to all the questions.

Regards,trackin antenna.rar

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Comments

  • naish May 6, 2012 at 11:18pm

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/343462/tracking%20antenna2.rar

  • Bjørn Didriksen April 27, 2012 at 12:22am

    Found these acrylic domes:

    http://www.globalplastics.ca/domes.htm

    It would be nice to show the antenna moving around in there :)

    Clear Acrylic Plastic Display Domes.
    Clear Domes for displays, dust covers, beyblade stadium or whatever your application.
  • Greg Fletcher April 25, 2012 at 6:50pm

    I figure that if you are using a dish you are doing long range stuff. In this case continuous rotation is not necessary. You can use a cable and you wont be flying circles around yourself, but just maneuvering at long range so not much ant. movement. Even if vehicle mounted you are more or less going in one direction and not driving in circles. If you are flying around yourself at short range then you would be using an omni. BTW they have made for years satellite TV dishes for boats and RV's that are gyro stabilized. Use a cable in the center and only allow one or two turns than have a quick reset (unwinding) when needed.

  • naish April 25, 2012 at 4:25pm

    I try to answer back to all...
    @ gerorge... Data over slip rings is not a big problem, in the past I builded a device with slip rings and  RS232 flowing  at @19200 with no problems! I suggest you to buy one and give a try, and remember that antenna is never on continuous fast rotation like a radar!
    @ Luca... no sorry!

  • Rob_Lefebvre April 25, 2012 at 11:10am

    @george, yeah, I have a number of industrial machines here that use slip rings and, I'd recommend not using slip rings.  Maybe if they were gold plated instead of bare copper it would work better.  But they are always causing problems for me and I'm not even attempting high speed digital communications.

    Or, just use a wire down the center of the shaft, allow it to twist and... just don't fly too many circles around the ground station.

  • Bjørn Didriksen April 25, 2012 at 5:59am

    Would not cummunication over slip rings be generating noise in the communication between the movable and stationary electronics?

    One way of maybe avoiding this would maybe be to use two or more brushes against the rotating part of the slip ring assambley? So that you would have two brushes in parralell basically.

    Do you have a supplier for the dish?

    180 degree pan would enable a horizon to horizon tracking. Would it maybe be benificial to have the possibilliti to go below horizon? If I was on a hill or a mountain flying, and had to fly down below me, I would like the antenna to keep tracking :)

     

  • naish April 25, 2012 at 5:19am

    The plan was to make everything custom made except the dish, but all easy to build with a simple 2 axis cnc. Part of electronics were mounted on the mechanism other part on the base and lipos also on the base, all connected via a Slip Ring

  • Bjørn Didriksen April 25, 2012 at 4:07am

    Nice :)

    I have absolutley no idea of the electronics, but my dayjob involves a lot of CAD in Autodesk Inventor. And this is nice :)

    Have you based the dome and dish on something prefabricated? Or is everything to be custom made?

    My understanding is that you are to have the electronics mounted on the mechanism for the dish or gimbal due to the 360 endless pan?

     

    And no worries, your english is nice :)

  • Pierre V April 25, 2012 at 1:34am

    This one works. Thanks

  • naish April 24, 2012 at 11:29pm

    Ok I can give you a new link!

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/343462/tracking%20antenna2.rar

This reply was deleted.