SUSU Antenna Array
From SUWS-wiki
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.
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 approproate 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 Calculate cableing lengths Source coax connectors Finish HF dipole refurbishment source network cableing plan external mounting framework
MOUNTING / ANTENNAS
Design mounting for wifi dish Acquire missing parts for HF dipole Find mounting bracket for HF dipole Find 70cm antenna for mast Design/Find 868Mhz antenna Locate and test diplexer Build polarity splitter for 2m beam VNA test 2m beam antenna VNA test 868 antenna VNA test triband VNA test hf dipole VNA test 70cm antenna design improved waterproofing for wifidish
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)
- Elevation rotator
- 2m Crossed Yagi (AR+satellites)
- 70cm Yagi (AR+satellites+HABs)
- 5GHz Wifi Dish (SOWN+SUSUTV)
- HF Dipole (AR)
- Azimuth Rotator
Tasks
Allocated
- Create CAD diagram of mast and ALL parts
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
- 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 |
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
- Dual axis Rotator Parts SUSU_Antenna_Array/rotator
- Internal patch panel parts
- panel [17]
- 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
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
