SUSU Antenna Array

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

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)
  • 2.4GHz omni (sensor networks)
  • 868 MHz omni (sensor networks)

• Elevation rotator
  • 2m Crossed Yagi (AR+satellites)
    • eg. 8-ele Tonna
  • 70cm Crossed Yagi (AR+satellites+HABs)
    • eg. 19-ele Tonna (probably too long)
  • 5GHz Wifi Dish (SOWN+SUSUTV)
    • eg. 802.11ac Ubiquiti PowerBeam

• HF Dipole (AR)

• Azimuth Rotator

Tasks

Allocated

• Create CAD diagram of mast and ALL parts
  • Tyler

Unallocated

• Get permission from susu regarding rack for room and wall mounting
  • Link [1]

• 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

• create risk assesment
  • Link Risk Assesment

Kit

See SUSU_Antenna_Array/Kit

Other parts known to be needed

• Extra Mounting hardware

• Dual axis Rotator Parts SUSU_Antenna_Array/rotator

• Internal patch panel parts
  • panel [2]

• Parts for HF dipole
  • lots of bits
  • See HF Yagi

• 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 [[3]]
  • ?* N blanking plates
  • Mounting frame (suggest stainless or aluminium)
  • Connector box [[4]]
    • 2* ethercon panel connectors [[5]]
    • 2* XRL7 male panel [[6]]
    • 2* XLR7 female panel [[7]]
    • 2* ethercon cable [[8]]
    • 2* XLR7 female cable [[9]]
    • 2* XLR7 male cable [[10]]
    • potting compound [[11]] / lots of silica gell
    • D connector mounting plate [[12]]
    • weatherproofing ans sealant [[13]]

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