The old BSB squarials were a metalised foil layer that consisted of 32 or 64 patch antennas with a large amount of meander lines to act as the combiner. It all ended with a single line that sat in the middle of a WG17 aperture. There was a folded LNB on the back but for 12 instead of 11GHz. I still have a few in the loft. We used to use them on 3cms TV with a step transistion so you could bolt a WG16 Solfan head on to the WG16<>17 transition and then the Squarial. For RX a re-DRO’d normal 11GHz LNB was used (now on 10.3 instead on 11.1GHz)
I think it’s fantastic because we have seen that getting to that kind of ERP is not expensive or difficult and so for the concept of a manpack station becomes eminently achievable.
It has already been discussed, we’re on the ball on the MT! If we’re not planning which of Delilah’s threads to shutdown next, we’re discussing what is happening in the ham radio world and how it may affect us.
I’m waiting for comments to appear in another place (from the only guy excluded for cheating on SOTA) when myself or Tom do some Es’Hail 2… “whine whine whine MT making up rules for their benefit whine whine can you believe them whine whine”. Much the way he thought it was outrageous that I activated summits in OK that one day will be removed due to prominence issues.
As I see it you have to use a dish on the downlink, I have tried pointing the LNB at the Satellite and while you can just about hear some stations most are in the noise.
So this my latest attempt with the freebie aerial that comes with the SG-Labs near to the focus of the dish.
Seems to put in a better signal than the 27 ele Tonna, but not tried a QSO yet.
Looks good. The less “things” you need, the better it will be. Have you any plans for a mixer to mix the LNB IF down to 70cm to match the up converter?
This afternoon I could not find a single pll lnb available on eBay or Amazon. I wonder why? I found one elsewhere eventually. I have started looking at dishes. They all seem to weigh a tonne. I did wonder about making a corner reflector.
A few chats about Es’hail at the rally this afternoon.
I’ve asked the OM what software that is, I’ve been using SDR Touch and it’s not the greatest.
A small laptop might be the way to go so I can use better software.
BTW, I used the small PCB aerial that comes with the transvertor in the dish focus this afternoon and got a 5/7 and 5/9 report.
Are any current chasers considering getting going on Es’hail? If not, I feel sure that we will soon garner a new set of chasers! I have ordered a dish for home.
