Project Logs

Collapse

• Deploying A Dish

  Benchoff • 01/23/2017 at 01:31 • 0 comments

  I've aluminized the dish, mounted it to a tripod, and tested it out. Pics:

  I've also written a post on this for Hackaday. You can check that out here.

• A Feedhorn? No, an ESP

  Benchoff • 12/28/2016 at 02:28 • 0 comments

  The center mount has a single 'stovepipe' that allows me to attach a pole for the feedhorn. This is the other end.

  It's designed to hold an ESP-01 module so that the antenna is directly in the center of the dish.

  $fn = 64;
  
  module esp8266(){
      
   union(){   
       translate([0,-4,-2])   
       cube([14.7,25,11], center=true);   
       
       translate([0,-12.5,6])   
       cube([12,8,12], center=true);
   }   
  }
  
  module pole(){
   
   translate([27, 0, -21])   
   cylinder(d=6.40, h=30);   
      
  }
  
  module holder(){
     difference(){ 
          hull(){
              translate([32,0,0])
              cylinder(d=4, h=10);
                  
              translate([32,5,0])
              cylinder(d=4, h=10);   
                 
              translate([32,-5,0])
              cylinder(d=4, h=10);  
              
              translate([10,10,0])
              cylinder(d=4, h=5);
              
              translate([-10,10,0])
              cylinder(d=4, h=5);
              
              translate([-10,-20,0])
              cylinder(d=4, h=5);
              
              translate([10,-20,0])
              cylinder(d=4, h=5);     
          }
          
          esp8266();
          pole();
          
      }
  }
  
  
  holder();

  
  

• Designing the Center Mount

  Benchoff • 12/27/2016 at 02:14 • 0 comments

  Meant to hold a 1/4" dowel for the extnetion.

  Hexagon code from Chris Bate

  Uses 1/4-20 flange mount insert on the back, designed for camera tripod

  //
  //  Center mount for 3D printed parabolic antenna
  //  hackaday.io/project/18866
  //  Brian Benchoff
  //
  //  uses hexagon code from Chris Bate:
  //  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAKEk1falNg
  //
  $fn = 64;
  
  
  module phex(wid,rad,height){
  hull(){
          translate([wid/2-rad,0,0])cylinder(r=rad,h=height);
          rotate([0,0,60])translate([wid/2-rad,0,0])cylinder(r=rad,h=height);
          rotate([0,0,120])translate([wid/2-rad,0,0])cylinder(r=rad,h=height);
          rotate([0,0,180])translate([wid/2-rad,0,0])cylinder(r=rad,h=height);
          rotate([0,0,240])translate([wid/2-rad,0,0])cylinder(r=rad,h=height);
          rotate([0,0,300])translate([wid/2-rad,0,0])cylinder(r=rad,h=height);
      }
  }
  module plug(){
      difference(){
      cylinder(d=12,h=30);
      translate([0,0,-1])
              cylinder(d=6.40,h=25);
      }
  }
  
  
  module metaAdapter(){
      union(){
          translate([0,0,10]){
              difference(){
              phex(68,0.1,20);
                  translate([0,0,21])
                      phex(64,0.1,19);
                  
                  translate([0,0,1])
                      cylinder(d=8,h=20);
                  
                  translate([0,0,18.5])
                      cylinder(d=20,h=5);
                  
                  translate([0,15,1])
                      cylinder(d=4,h=25);
              }
          }
          intersection(){
              
  
  
              translate([0,0,-10])
              phex(80,0.1,20);
  
  
              
              translate([0,0,50])
                 sphere(d=120);
         }
         
         translate([27,0,-20])
          plug();
      }
      
  }
  
  
  
  
  module adapter(){
      difference(){
          metaAdapter();
          
          translate([20,13,-15])
          cylinder(d=10, h=50);
          
          translate([20,13,22])
              rotate([-90,0,-60])
                  cylinder(d=10,h=10);
          
          translate([27,0,-20])
              cylinder(d=6.4,h=40);       
      }
  }
  
  
  adapter();

  
  

• Commissioning A Dish

  Benchoff • 12/14/2016 at 05:16 • 0 comments

  The dish is printed. only thing left to do is add the center mount, metalize the dish, and place the feedhorn.

  The diameter of the dish is 49mm, which means the depth of the dish is 6mm. We're dividing everything by two here (units are arbitrary), so the feed horn must be 25mm from the bottom of the dish. This means the feed horn must be 19mm above the 'points' of the dish.

  Knitting needles and hot glue.

• Designing a dish

  Benchoff • 12/09/2016 at 19:14 • 0 comments

  diameter 98, depth 12, Focal length 50. Units are arbitrary.

  I scaled this 500% when 3D printing it, so the actual specs are:

  490mm diameter, 60m depth, focal length 250.

  What do we end up with?

View all 5 project logs