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SUSU Antenna Array: Difference between revisions

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=== MOUNTING / ANTENNAS ===
=== MOUNTING / ANTENNAS ===
* Design mounting for wifi dish
* Design source and build mounting for Wi-fi dish
** Assignees: undecided
** Dependencies: none
** Sub tasks
*** Design mounting bracket that can mount dish at 90 degrees to standard mounting bracket.
*** Source parts needed for mounting bracket.
*** Build mounting bracket.




Revision as of 14:40, 12 July 2015

This page describe the plan to build a new antenna array to mount back on the mast on the West Building (outside the Stag's Head). This would be of benefit to SUWS as well as other societies listed below.

Facebook Group

MastRendering.jpg

An unreadable mess of tasks

DESIGN WORK

  • Finish CAD for antenna installation
    • Assignee: Tyler
    • Dependencies: measurements for 70cm antenna plus various mounting brackets and cables. Will probably need to have these in are possession to get accurate measurements for most of these.**


  • Create installation plan and documentation for Estates and Facilities,
    • Assignees: Tyler (with help from other)
    • Dependencies complete (or near complete) CAD diagram
    • Sub tasks
      • Ordered set of instructions
      • List of tools required
      • Exploded diagrams to see how things are put together.


  • Plan how to connect FM dipole
    • Assignees: unknown
    • Dependencies: none
    • Sub tasks
      • Find out the connectors used at each end of the FM dipole cable and how they are connected to the dipole itsled.
      • Source new connectors and appropriate length of suitable flexible cable.


COMMUNICATION WORK

  • Interact with SUSU to get final approval for mast.
    • Assignees: David N and Tyler
    • Dependencies: SUSU Director of services to get back to us.


  • Interact with Estates and Facilities to confirm they are happy with our plans
    • Assignees: David N and Tyler
    • Dependencies: Waiting final approval from SUSU.
    • Sub tasks
      • Check with E&F about lightning protection and wall mounting.
      • Check that no specific planning permission is required.


  • Organise with Estates and Facilities the erection of the mast.
    • Assignees: David N and Tyler
    • Dependencies: Approval from SUSU and Estates and Facilities. Final complete installation plans (although a date can be set before the final plan is ready)


CABLING

  • Measure cable in cage 9
    • Assignees: undedecided
    • Dependencies: none


  • Calculate cabling lengths
    • Assignees: Tyler + 1 other
    • Dependencies: Access to the CAD diagram and ability to use it to calculate lengths:
    • Sub tasks
      • Determine all the cables we will need.
      • Use CAD diagram to calculate lengths


  • Source coax connectors
    • Assignee: unknown
    • Dependencies: partially depends what cables are needed.
    • Sub tasks
      • Specify the type and quantity of coax connectors we need
      • Source these specified coax connectors.


  • Source network cabling
    • Assignees: undecided
    • Dependencies: knowing the cable lengths required.
    • Sub tasks
      • Find ultra-violet resistant, flexible, shielded Ethernet cable (uncrimped) from WiFi dish to the junction box.
      • Find ultra-violet resistant, shielded Ethernet cable (uncrimped) from junction box to server rack.


  • Plan framework for cable mounting
    • Assignees: undecided
    • Dependencies: knowing the lengths ans types of cable.
    • Sub tasks
      • Design and source parts for junction box.
      • Build junction box.
      • Determine how cables should be mounted along the mast / crossbeam and against the wall of SUSU.


MOUNTING / ANTENNAS

  • Design source and build mounting for Wi-fi dish
    • Assignees: undecided
    • Dependencies: none
    • Sub tasks
      • Design mounting bracket that can mount dish at 90 degrees to standard mounting bracket.
      • Source parts needed for mounting bracket.
      • Build mounting bracket.


  • Finish HF dipole refurbishment
    • Assignees: undecided
    • Dependencies: none
      • Clean the internals and other critical outstanding parts of existing HF fpole set of parts
      • Determine and spec out further parts needed for the HF dipole
      • Source further parts needed for the HF dipole.


  • Find mounting bracket for HF dipole
    • Assignees: undecided
    • Dependencies: none
  • Find and purchase 70cm antenna for mast
    • Assignees: undecided
    • Dependencies: none
  • Design or find and purchase 868Mhz antenna
    • Assignees: undecided
    • Dependencies: none
  • find where we have hidden diplexer and test it
    • Assignees: undecided
    • Dependencies: none


  • Build polarity splitter for 2m beam
    • Assignees: undecided
    • Dependencies: none


  • VNA testing
  • Assignees: undecided
    • Dependencies: Various cables need to be purposed and connectors attached and access to a VNA.
    • Subtasks
      • VNA test 2m beam antenna cable
      • VNA test 868 antenna cable
      • VNA test triband cable
      • VNA test hf dipole cable
      • VNA test 70cm antenna cable


  • Design and build improved water-proofing for Wi-Fi dish
    • Assignees: undecided
    • Dependecies: none
    • Sub tasks
      • Design water-proof housing
      • Source any parts consumables need to build and attach housing to dish
      • Build water-proof housing

ROTATOR/FRAMEWORK

source main pole identify rotator mounting options for existing wall brackets replace screws on lower rotator check other rotator mouning scres aernt rusty plan rotator cable connections design notification plaque to be placed at base of mast (also contains RF warnings)


INTERNAL

get permission for rack installation design internal data/power patch pannel design internal RF patch pannel plan/arrange power and data connectivity work out how to ensure that no one unplugs the mast. plan how to rackmount existing kit (most likely shelves) make rack+contents look shiny

Current Status

  • Currently in purchasing and refurbishment stage as well as final planning on assembly and connections

Interested Parties

  • SUWS (us) - General Amateur Radio operation / tracking high altitude balloons.
  • Space Flight Society
    • Interested in helping us.
    • Interested in tracking satellite / high altitude balloons
  • SUSUtv
    • Interested in directional Wi-Fi for live campus broadcast
  • Surge
    • Interested in properly fixing their FM antenna
  • Astronomy
    • Interested in 1GHz-2GHz (?) radio astronomy.
  • ECS Sensor Network Research
    • 868Mhz omni for sensor network node
  • There is still room for other interest should there be any

Antenna/Feature Ideas

Confirmed

  • HF beam dipole
  • triband 2m/70cm/6m omni
  • 70cm+2m on dual-axis rotator
  • SURGE FM broadcast antenna
  • SOWN Wi-Fi @ coordinates
  • 868 sensor net antenna on spur

Sensible

  • 23cm on spur
  • radio telescope (astrosoc)
  • monitoring node (temp/wind ect)

Current Plan

From top of the mast to bottom.

  • 6m/2m/70cm collinear (AR+satellites+HABs)
  • Spur bar
    • FM Broadcast antenna (SURGE)
    • 868 MHz omni (sensor networks)
  • HF Dipole (AR)
  • Azimuth Rotator

Tasks

Allocated

Unallocated

  • Get permission from susu regarding rack for room and wall mounting
  • Check with E&F
    • lighting protection
    • wall mounting
    • planning
  • Calculate coax lengths
    • source coax connectors
  • Finish HF dipole refurbishment
    • Design new crossbeam
    • find missing parts

Kit

  • Statuses
    • Arrived - We have the item.
    • Ordered - We have ordered the item.
    • Approved - We are good to purchase the item but have not done so yet.
    • Awaiting Approval - We know what we need and are awaiting financial approval.
    • Pending - Something is blocking on us being able to approve this item.

All prices are VAT included, unless otherwise specified. "+ £X.XX" indicates additional costs, such as shipping.

Item Cost Link Budget Status Ordered / Acquired By Notes Actions Required
Triband Vertical £87.95 [2] Mast Arrived 2015-04-21 TylerWard
Lithium Grease 500g £7.95 [3] Mast Arrived 2015-05-11 TylerWard. Datasheet
SSD for APU board £32.39 [4] ECS Networks Arrived 2015-05-11 ECS
868 Antenna £23.44 [5] Mountain Sensing Arrived 2015-05-14 Kirk
2M Crossed Yagi £89.95 + £4.99 [6] Mast Arrived 2015-05-15 TylerWard
Separation kit G5400 Free (Thanks Yaesu) N/A N/A Arrived 2015-05-15 Nsefan Purpose: To mount the elevation on a pole
Horizontal mast section Already owned by SUWS N/A N/A Arrived DavidNewman Needs 32-43mm diameter needs cleaning
Fast Ethernet 16 port managed switch (with gigabit uplink) Free (Thanks ECS) N/A N/A Arrived 2015-05-20 DavidNewman
Dual Axis Rotator £40 [7] Mast Arrived 2014 M0NSA Awaiting invoice for reimbursement
HF Dipole Beam Already owned by SUWS N/A N/A Arrived 19?? Craag Refurbishment required. Replacement parts will be required
Ubiquity Powerbeam PBE-M5-300 and accessories £66.46 [8] TJC's Services Rendered Arrived 2015-05-19 ECS
70cm Yagi £52.96 + £10 [9] Mast Approved Awaiting Purchase (Waiting on ML&S order)
Screws For Rotator (M6*20) £5.03 [10] Mast Approved Needs Ordering (trip to Screwfix?)
Loctite 243 (for securing the bolts) £7.76 Mast Approved Needs Ordering (awaiting a onecall purchase)
0.5in x 1 metre long aluminium tube (1.6mm thick) £7.38 [11] Mast Approved Replacement for broken EG component of HF beam Date to be approved/ordered: Approve ASAP. (May check if anything else needs to be ordered from same supplier before ordering).
HF Balun (Watson Balun (currently out of stock)) £33.95 [12] Mast Approved 14-30MHz >200W PEP Needs Ordering
Vertical mast section £52.95 [13] Mast Pending Needs to be between 38-63mm in diameter To be approved later need to confirm appropriate length
Mast Thrust Bearing (Yaesu GS-065) £47.61 + VAT [14] Pending Need to confirm wall mounting
Rotator and Bearing Wall Mounts £59.23 + VAT [15] Pending Yaesu BE645Y, Pair including both rotator and bearing bracket Need to confirm wall mounting
Rack Cupboard £180 [16] Pending 21U 600mm Deep Data Cabinet/Data Rack Pending SUSU approval for wall mounting

Other parts known to be needed

  • Extra Mounting hardware



  • Internal patch panel parts


  • Parts for HF dipole


  • Coax parts
    • coax
    • connectors
    • Per Antenna Feed (5 required)
      • 2x weatherproof Flex-8 Connectors
    • Per Room Feed (5 required, 8 ideally)
      • 1x Weatherproof RG-213 Connector
      • 1x indoor RG-213 Connector
  • connection plate
    • ?* weatherproof N through connectors [[18]]
    • ?* N blanking plates
    • Mounting frame (suggest stainless or aluminium)
    • Connector box [[19]]
      • 2* ethercon panel connectors [[20]]
      • 2* XRL7 male panel [[21]]
      • 2* XLR7 female panel [[22]]
      • 2* ethercon cable [[23]]
      • 2* XLR7 female cable [[24]]
      • 2* XLR7 male cable [[25]]
      • potting compound [[26]] / lots of silica gell
      • D connector mounting plate [[27]]
      • weatherproofing ans sealant [[28]]

Coax Info

Information sourced from Coax Data and ML&S

Prices sourced from ML&S inc. VAT

Diameter RF Loss Max Power Handling Cost Datasheet
mm dB/100ft @ 400MHz W @ 50MHz (1:1 SWR) /25m Reel
RG-58 5 10.5 450W £20.70
RG-213 10.3 4.5 1500W £32.25 http://www.romkatel.ro/cataloage/pdf/eupen/RG213.pdf
Ultraflex 7 7.3 3.59 1820W £29.70 http://www.messi.it/dati/immagini/RGAC7PLUS-All1_EN.pdf

Note: Connectors for Ultraflex 7 are uncommon, and so may add significantly to the expense.


Lightning Precautions

  • Talk to E&F about:
    • Current mast situation
    • Building requirements
  • Can we rely on lightning path through the rotator body?
  • Kit will be toast whatever happens, priority is mitigating fire risk.


Static Protection

  • Resistive bleeders on all coax
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