Nanostation + Satellite Dish

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eXDee

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#89166 26-Aug-2011 19:12

So i picked up a Ubiquiti Nanostation Loco just to have a play around with. I also grabbed a spare satellite dish, then cable tied the nanostation to the dish to see what i could get out of it.
Nanostation is 100mw. Shot of its internals, 2nd one down
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattw/3460097815/in/photostream/

The dish is a sky 60cm one. Some Pictures

http://iforce.co.nz/i/34nknybh.vpd.jpg
http://iforce.co.nz/i/bg3ncdcp.sez.jpg
http://iforce.co.nz/i/bw5cnnpy.hc5.jpg

I'm not really trying to achieve anything in particular at this stage, im more interested in seeing what i can do and how far away i can pick up other networks.
When i took it up on the roof and pointed it in various directions i didnt seem to pick up that much better than what the nanostation alone could manage.

What angle should this be tilted on, is this mounted in the optimal position etc?

eXDee

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#512976 27-Aug-2011 22:16

No one have a clue? I can't find a guide online for calculating what direction a satellite actually points at.

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knoydart

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#512977 27-Aug-2011 22:34

Well a Satellite dish is a parabolic reflector. I guess sit depends what type of dish it is, ie offset to see how to align it to your far away wifi network?

eXDee

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#512980 27-Aug-2011 23:19

Im guessing its Off Axis/Offset Feed. Just need to find what angle to use...

codyc1515

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#512986 28-Aug-2011 00:25

Keep in mind that the Loco is a lower powered version of the original (at a very slightly cheaper price) so you probably won't get such a great range. Additionally, Ubiquiti sells some of their 3.5GHz & 900MHz gear with an antenna setup like this. Notice how they are much closer to the dish and also the dish is angled quite differently.

eXDee

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#513058 28-Aug-2011 12:38

Searching online told me to put it in the same place as the original lnb that was taken off as that's the focal point of the dish. And yes i know the loco is a lower powered version.

oxnsox

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#513067 28-Aug-2011 13:39

Rotate the nanostation thru 180degrees it may help. The aerial in the box should be at the focal point for the dish and it maybe in a different location to where you think. If you look at any local sky dishes you'll get a rough idea where the focal point is.

Also dish angle. Sky dishes don't actual point at the satellite they aim below it.
Again looking at the mountpoint you'll see it appears to be below the centre of the dish. This means the incoming signals come in on a line roughly the same amount of offset angle above the cetreline. Soo... if you want to point at things like houses you actually need to aim slightly below them.

One of the advantages of a dish is that they are very directional, think of it as a searchlight beam, being out by a few degrees either way (especially to something close, say winthin a few hundred metres) means you'll get nothing.

eXDee

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#513208 28-Aug-2011 21:55

oxnsox: Rotate the nanostation thru 180degrees it may help. The aerial in the box should be at the focal point for the dish and it maybe in a different location to where you think. If you look at any local sky dishes you'll get a rough idea where the focal point is.

Also dish angle. Sky dishes don't actual point at the satellite they aim below it.
Again looking at the mountpoint you'll see it appears to be below the centre of the dish. This means the incoming signals come in on a line roughly the same amount of offset angle above the cetreline. Soo... if you want to point at things like houses you actually need to aim slightly below them.

One of the advantages of a dish is that they are very directional, think of it as a searchlight beam, being out by a few degrees either way (especially to something close, say winthin a few hundred metres) means you'll get nothing.

I have an exact identical dish to this on my roof and pulled the identical LNB off this one, its mounted in about the same place. Looking at that picture i linked in the first post, it looks like the antenna is roughly in the middle of it, perhaps slightly off centre. I might try rotating it though and moving it. Hmmm.

And yes, if it aimed at it, it would be front feed or similar. I have been aiming the dish itself on about a 10 degree angle from vertical in an attempt to make it horizontal (which puts the mounting arm for where the LNB would be below 90' or something).

And yes they are very directional, which is why im trying to find out what kind of angle i should be using exactly.

raytaylor

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#515311 1-Sep-2011 20:09

Yeah, the loco antenna wouldnt be positioned in the right place.

Also make sure you turn your transmit power down so your eirp doesnt exceed 4 watts at 2.4ghz.

Ray Taylor

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eXDee

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#515429 1-Sep-2011 23:29

Comparing
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattw/3460097815/in/photostream/
and
http://iforce.co.nz/i/bw5cnnpy.hc5.jpg
Makes me think i'll have to move it upwards just a bit to get it on the mark. Will give this a shot when i get the chance to.

raytaylor

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#515433 1-Sep-2011 23:40

I imagine you could use a bright torch, and some tin foil . Shine the torch into the dish covered with tinfoil

Move the palm of your hand closer to the dish, around the area of the lnb
Where the light focuses or makes a pinpoint on your hand would be where the focal point is i guess.

Im not sure if that theory will work though.

Ray Taylor

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