"Dave Typinski" wrote in message
...
Anyone have any ideas about what one might do with a television
receive-only (TVRO) antenna? The thing is 10' diameter and it's mine
for the price of dismantling it and hauling it out of the present
owner's back yard.

I'm thinking radio astronomy. Might be nice to make my own radio map
of the galaxy. I'm guessing that this would work okay somewhere
between 1 and 10 GHz... which means making a feed horn... which is
easy enough to do.

What else could I do with this antenna? Other than covering it in
polyethylene sheet to make a really big bird bath...
--
Dave Typinski
AJ4CO

Additional Phase 3 satellites (AMSAT-DL P3E and AMSAT-NA Eagle in the
2009/2010 timeframe) are epected to be lauched in next 24 months -- plenty
of leaisurely time to rework and install a BUD for "S' or "C" band -- on a
budget.
http://www.ultimatecharger.com/dish.html

Robert, W0LMD shows you how to build a proper Dish Feed
http://www.ultimatecharger.com/Dish_Feed.html

On Sun, 21 Oct 2007 06:00:35 -0500, "gb"
wrote:

"Dave Typinski" wrote in message
.. .
Anyone have any ideas about what one might do with a television
receive-only (TVRO) antenna? The thing is 10' diameter and it's mine
for the price of dismantling it and hauling it out of the present
owner's back yard.

I'm thinking radio astronomy. Might be nice to make my own radio map
of the galaxy. I'm guessing that this would work okay somewhere
between 1 and 10 GHz... which means making a feed horn... which is
easy enough to do.

What else could I do with this antenna? Other than covering it in
polyethylene sheet to make a really big bird bath...
--
Dave Typinski
AJ4CO

Additional Phase 3 satellites (AMSAT-DL P3E and AMSAT-NA Eagle in the
2009/2010 timeframe) are epected to be lauched in next 24 months -- plenty
of leaisurely time to rework and install a BUD for "S' or "C" band -- on a
budget.
http://www.ultimatecharger.com/dish.html

Robert, W0LMD shows you how to build a proper Dish Feed
http://www.ultimatecharger.com/Dish_Feed.html

Heh - I had bumped into that web site a coupla months ago, which is
what got me thinking about this project. Then I lost the link - so
thanks for posting it!
--
Dave Typinski
AJ4CO

"Dave Typinski" wrote in message
...
Anyone have any ideas about what one might do with a television
receive-only (TVRO) antenna? The thing is 10' diameter and it's mine
for the price of dismantling it and hauling it out of the present
owner's back yard.

I'm thinking radio astronomy. Might be nice to make my own radio map
of the galaxy. I'm guessing that this would work okay somewhere
between 1 and 10 GHz... which means making a feed horn... which is
easy enough to do.

What else could I do with this antenna? Other than covering it in
polyethylene sheet to make a really big bird bath...
--
Dave Typinski
AJ4CO

Hi Dave

NOAAPORT uses a satellite over the Equator, South of Texas to transmit
satellite images in near Real Time. You can easily build a station for
displaying good images of the Florida as seen from space.

Jerry

On Sun, 21 Oct 2007 16:48:28 GMT, "Jerry Martes"
wrote:


"Dave Typinski" wrote in message
.. .
Anyone have any ideas about what one might do with a television
receive-only (TVRO) antenna? The thing is 10' diameter and it's mine
for the price of dismantling it and hauling it out of the present
owner's back yard.

I'm thinking radio astronomy. Might be nice to make my own radio map
of the galaxy. I'm guessing that this would work okay somewhere
between 1 and 10 GHz... which means making a feed horn... which is
easy enough to do.

What else could I do with this antenna? Other than covering it in
polyethylene sheet to make a really big bird bath...
--
Dave Typinski
AJ4CO

Hi Dave

NOAAPORT uses a satellite over the Equator, South of Texas to transmit
satellite images in near Real Time. You can easily build a station for
displaying good images of the Florida as seen from space.

Jerry

Now /that/ would be a cool project! Thanks, Jerry.
--
Dave Typinski
AJ4CO

"Dave Typinski" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 21 Oct 2007 16:48:28 GMT, "Jerry Martes"
wrote:


"Dave Typinski" wrote in message
. ..
Anyone have any ideas about what one might do with a television
receive-only (TVRO) antenna? The thing is 10' diameter and it's mine
for the price of dismantling it and hauling it out of the present
owner's back yard.

I'm thinking radio astronomy. Might be nice to make my own radio map
of the galaxy. I'm guessing that this would work okay somewhere
between 1 and 10 GHz... which means making a feed horn... which is
easy enough to do.

What else could I do with this antenna? Other than covering it in
polyethylene sheet to make a really big bird bath...
--
Dave Typinski
AJ4CO

Hi Dave

NOAAPORT uses a satellite over the Equator, South of Texas to transmit
satellite images in near Real Time. You can easily build a station for
displaying good images of the Florida as seen from space.

Jerry

Now /that/ would be a cool project! Thanks, Jerry.
--
Dave Typinski
AJ4CO

Hi Dave

If you do build a system for receiving the NOAAPORT images, please keep me
informed about your progress.
I too got my dish free. The PCI card TV receiver was low cost. The rest
is computer and software. eBay is a good source of very good antenna parts
at low cost.
I am presently stuck due to my poor Linux skills, and Linux is used by the
guys who write the software (free).

Jerry

On Sun, 21 Oct 2007 18:15:48 GMT, "Jerry Martes"
wrote:


"Dave Typinski" wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 21 Oct 2007 16:48:28 GMT, "Jerry Martes"
wrote:


"Dave Typinski" wrote in message
...
Anyone have any ideas about what one might do with a television
receive-only (TVRO) antenna? The thing is 10' diameter and it's mine
for the price of dismantling it and hauling it out of the present
owner's back yard.

I'm thinking radio astronomy. Might be nice to make my own radio map
of the galaxy. I'm guessing that this would work okay somewhere
between 1 and 10 GHz... which means making a feed horn... which is
easy enough to do.

What else could I do with this antenna? Other than covering it in
polyethylene sheet to make a really big bird bath...
--
Dave Typinski
AJ4CO

Hi Dave

NOAAPORT uses a satellite over the Equator, South of Texas to transmit
satellite images in near Real Time. You can easily build a station for
displaying good images of the Florida as seen from space.

Jerry

Now /that/ would be a cool project! Thanks, Jerry.
--
Dave Typinski
AJ4CO

Hi Dave

If you do build a system for receiving the NOAAPORT images, please keep me
informed about your progress.
I too got my dish free. The PCI card TV receiver was low cost. The rest
is computer and software. eBay is a good source of very good antenna parts
at low cost.
I am presently stuck due to my poor Linux skills, and Linux is used by the
guys who write the software (free).

Jerry

I briefly went over the NOAAPORT web site. Looks like they have a
Windows flavor for the software, or maybe that's just a port to a
version that runs under a Windows emulator for Linux. Dunno. The
site wasn't too user-friendly - which just makes me want to build the
thing even more.

If you have any other online references handy for this project, I'd be
much obliged if you'd post them. For instance, in my review of the
site, I didn't notice anything about having to use a video capture /
TV tuner card - although I do have a USB version of one of those.

I shall post my progress, if and when. It's a project that's not at
the top of the list. First up is launching a weather balloon to
100,000 feet with a camera and a few sensors.

Thanks, Jerry.
--
Dave Typinski
AJ4CO

"Dave Typinski" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 21 Oct 2007 18:15:48 GMT, "Jerry Martes"
wrote:


"Dave Typinski" wrote in message
. ..
On Sun, 21 Oct 2007 16:48:28 GMT, "Jerry Martes"
wrote:


"Dave Typinski" wrote in message
m...
Anyone have any ideas about what one might do with a television
receive-only (TVRO) antenna? The thing is 10' diameter and it's mine
for the price of dismantling it and hauling it out of the present
owner's back yard.

I'm thinking radio astronomy. Might be nice to make my own radio map
of the galaxy. I'm guessing that this would work okay somewhere
between 1 and 10 GHz... which means making a feed horn... which is
easy enough to do.

What else could I do with this antenna? Other than covering it in
polyethylene sheet to make a really big bird bath...
--
Dave Typinski
AJ4CO

Hi Dave

NOAAPORT uses a satellite over the Equator, South of Texas to transmit
satellite images in near Real Time. You can easily build a station for
displaying good images of the Florida as seen from space.

Jerry

Now /that/ would be a cool project! Thanks, Jerry.
--
Dave Typinski
AJ4CO

Hi Dave

If you do build a system for receiving the NOAAPORT images, please keep
me
informed about your progress.
I too got my dish free. The PCI card TV receiver was low cost. The rest
is computer and software. eBay is a good source of very good antenna
parts
at low cost.
I am presently stuck due to my poor Linux skills, and Linux is used by
the
guys who write the software (free).

Jerry

I briefly went over the NOAAPORT web site. Looks like they have a
Windows flavor for the software, or maybe that's just a port to a
version that runs under a Windows emulator for Linux. Dunno. The
site wasn't too user-friendly - which just makes me want to build the
thing even more.

If you have any other online references handy for this project, I'd be
much obliged if you'd post them. For instance, in my review of the
site, I didn't notice anything about having to use a video capture /
TV tuner card - although I do have a USB version of one of those.

I shall post my progress, if and when. It's a project that's not at
the top of the list. First up is launching a weather balloon to
100,000 feet with a camera and a few sensors.

Thanks, Jerry.
--
Dave Typinski
AJ4CO

Hi Dave

Hector has most of what is needed to make a low cost PCI TV receiver work
for NOAAPORT. The Twinhan PCI cards are affordable thru eBay and etc.
I thought I'd get more help from the "regulars" on the Yahoo NOAAPORT
site, but am now disappointed. And, I am slow to learn the Linux (Fedora)
that is used to reduce the data.
I want you to learn how to make images so you can teach me. I did go out
and buy parts and assembled a computer for Fedora. Now I have to learn how
to navigate in it. I too have found the"instructions" a bit difficult for
me to understand. But, Hector's instructions
(http://www.hwic.net/projects/weather/noaaport/) are quite direct and
easy to understand.

Jerry

"Dave Typinski" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 21 Oct 2007 16:48:28 GMT, "Jerry Martes"
wrote:


"Dave Typinski" wrote in message
. ..
Anyone have any ideas about what one might do with a television
receive-only (TVRO) antenna? The thing is 10' diameter and it's mine
for the price of dismantling it and hauling it out of the present
owner's back yard.

I'm thinking radio astronomy. Might be nice to make my own radio map
of the galaxy. I'm guessing that this would work okay somewhere
between 1 and 10 GHz... which means making a feed horn... which is
easy enough to do.

What else could I do with this antenna? Other than covering it in
polyethylene sheet to make a really big bird bath...
--
Dave Typinski
AJ4CO

Hi Dave

NOAAPORT uses a satellite over the Equator, South of Texas to transmit
satellite images in near Real Time. You can easily build a station for
displaying good images of the Florida as seen from space.

Jerry

Now /that/ would be a cool project! Thanks, Jerry.
--
Dave Typinski
AJ4CO

http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.../09/23/1233219

What are you expecting for birds? Condors?? The old TVRO dishes were for
2-4 ghz I think. If you used it for 10 ghz work it would have
incredible gain. The surface would have to be extremely smooth as even
minor imperfections woulg be bad for 10 ghz use. I saw an article that a
group used a 10' 1nd a 12' dish to go 125 miles over the desert with
802.11b wireless (wireless computer network if you're not a computer
person like myself). I have a smaller 4'x6' dish I want to mount on my
tower someday so I can screw around on the microwave bands. I live on a
mountaintop in Vermont which makes it easier to get out on the upper
bands that way. Have fun with it and don't stop dreaming of the
possibilities. 73's de KA1LHZ

Dave Typinski wrote:
Anyone have any ideas about what one might do with a television
receive-only (TVRO) antenna? The thing is 10' diameter and it's mine
for the price of dismantling it and hauling it out of the present
owner's back yard.

I'm thinking radio astronomy. Might be nice to make my own radio map
of the galaxy. I'm guessing that this would work okay somewhere
between 1 and 10 GHz... which means making a feed horn... which is
easy enough to do.

What else could I do with this antenna? Other than covering it in
polyethylene sheet to make a really big bird bath...