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Tracking antenna

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

3689454358?profile=original

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

  • 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 :)

     

  • Moderator
    Grips April 25, 2012 at 5:46am

    this could easily be made by a service such as ponoko.com or the like. It doesn't have to be super robust like a gimbal on a copter.

  • 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 :)

  • Moderator
    Grips April 25, 2012 at 3:49am

    Good design. You could actually put this inside of a small trash can with a round dome. An x468.com gimbal mounted upside down on a rotating plate could be the meat of the base.

    Mavlink compatible?

  • 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

  • Pierre V April 24, 2012 at 11:21pm

    Hello,

    I wanted to take a look on what you did. Unfortunately the link yoi provided doesn't work.

    You don't have permission to access "https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3689454379?profile=original" on this server.

    https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3689454379?profile=original
This reply was deleted.