Can I Build My Own Deep Space Antenna Network for Receiving Planetary Probes?

In summary, The speaker is looking to build their own communication and listening dish, multi-frequency antenna, and deep space antenna network. They are seeking information on how to acquire the necessary supplies for this project and are new to this field. They desire a flexible and large deployment antenna made of fabric-like material, and have a Mac cluster for data analysis. They plan to anchor the dish to the ground and want to receive signals from planetary probes operating in the 8 GHz band. They have not built any antennas before but are seeking guidance from a Yahoo group for amateur deep space networking. The speaker acknowledges the amount of work and skills required for this project.
  • #1
king yasin ally
5
0
I am trying to build my own communication / listening dish, multi frequency antenna, basically my own deep space antenna network. how to get the needed supply for such endeavour? help with any info on this,
a new field for me.

thanks!
hughschematic.jpg
 
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  • #2
king yasin ally said:
I am trying to build my own communication / listening dish, multi frequency antenna, basically my own deep space antenna network. how to get the needed supply for such endeavour? help with any info on this,
a new field for me.

thanks!
hughschematic.jpg
What antennas have you built so far? How large do you want to build this dish? What are you going to use for your LNA and receiver stages? How will you be analyzing the data? Will this dish be movable, or will it be anchored to the ground?
 
  • #3
berkeman said:
What antennas have you built so far? How large do you want to build this dish? What are you going to use for your LNA and receiver stages? How will you be analyzing the data? Will this dish be movable, or will it be anchored to the ground?

I have not build any antenna before, this would be my first run, I will like the antenna to be flexible and large in deployment , (fabric like material),
I also have not thought much on the subsequent devices (amplifier or receiver), when it come to the data i got a decent machine (a Mac cluster) that i generally
use for simulation / modelling.

Ground! with a rotating arm structure.
 
  • #4
How big?
 
  • #5
3 m to 6meter
 
  • #7
king yasin ally said:
I am trying to build my own communication / listening dish, multi frequency antenna, basically my own deep space antenna network. how to get the needed supply for such endeavour? help with any info on this,
a new field for me

from your opening comments etc, I and the others are under the impression that you want to receive the planetary probes that are out there

Galileo, Cassini, the Mars orbiters etc
They all operate in the 8 GHz band

There's a good yahoo group ( I have been a member for quite some years) ... Amateur Deep Space Network that have a bunch of guys
around the world ( many are amateur radio operators) that build systems and receive signals from the various spacecraft out there

I would suggest it would be a good place to start by joining up and asking a few questions
you have a lot of hard work ahead of you with getting a suitable dish, getting it mounted on a steerable system and then all the low noise receiver gear

I hope your electronics and mechanical skills are very good :smile:cheers
Dave
 
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FAQ: Can I Build My Own Deep Space Antenna Network for Receiving Planetary Probes?

1. What is a Deep Space antenna (dish)?

A Deep Space antenna, also known as a dish antenna, is a large, parabolic-shaped antenna used for communicating with spacecraft and probes that are exploring deep space, beyond Earth's orbit. It is designed to receive and transmit signals over long distances and at high data rates.

2. How does a Deep Space antenna work?

A Deep Space antenna works by reflecting and focusing radio waves off its curved surface towards a specific point in space. This point is where the spacecraft or probe is located. The antenna receives the weak signals from the spacecraft and amplifies them to be processed by ground stations on Earth, and vice versa for transmissions.

3. How big is a Deep Space antenna?

Deep Space antennas can vary in size, but they are usually very large, ranging from 20 to 70 meters in diameter. The larger the antenna, the more sensitive it is to weak signals from distant spacecraft. Some antennas, such as the Deep Space Network's 70-meter antennas, are among the largest movable structures on Earth.

4. Where are Deep Space antennas located?

Deep Space antennas are strategically located around the world to provide constant communication coverage with spacecraft, no matter where they are in space. The most well-known Deep Space antenna network is the Deep Space Network, which has three main locations in California, Spain, and Australia.

5. What types of signals can a Deep Space antenna receive?

Deep Space antennas are designed to receive a wide range of signals from spacecraft, including radio waves, X-rays, and other types of electromagnetic radiation. These antennas can also receive data signals from spacecraft, such as images and other scientific data, for processing and analysis on Earth.

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