BAA RAZoom Fri. 5th June 19:30 BST (18:30 UTC) Observations using modular 3 metre dish.
Paul Hearn
Utrecht Netherlands
Observations and instrumentation using home built modular 3 metre L-band dish.
Many amateur radio astronomers wish to have a large dish: after all, the greater the aperture, the better the sensitivity and resolving power. However, a larger dish also means a lot more practical issues, ranging from higher wind load to disgruntled neighbours… furthermore, weatherproofing a radio telescope to set it up outside permanently is challenging, especially in our wet climate. Can we have a 3 metre dish without many of these drawbacks?
Back in 2017 I decided to build a modular 3 metre dish. This dish could be assembled for observation projects during periods of favourable weather. When not in use the parts could be stored in a shed, safe from rain and storms. In this presentation I will cover the construction and evolution of the dish, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of such a modular setup. Observation results will also be presented. If weather allows, a demo showing the observation of the hydrogen line will be performed.
If you wish to join the Zoom and not received the link, please contact me. Paul Hearn [ pa...@hearn.org.uk ].