EME – 70cm antenna setup

Here’s the planned setup for initial tests on 70cm. I’m going to use my Skywatcher alt-azimuth mount, bought initially as a camera mount that could track objects in the sky, then used for a couple of years as a telescope mount. I always intended that it could also be used as a mount for an antenna that needed to track satellites, the Moon, or deep space probes.

Telescope mounts these days have a fairly standard way of attaching the telescope, known as a “dovetail bar”. These are easily obtained, and I have used one to support a wooden bracket which will carry the antenna boom.

This attaches easily on the alt-az mount, and is simply fixed with one screw (centre). There are two pipe clips to hold the antenna boom, which is plastic conduit pipe.

The antenna is in three sections for portability. Here’s the first section in place. The clips allow it to be rotated if a different polarisation is needed.

With the two end section attached the antenna is a bit floppy, so a nylon string supports it using a gin pole. Here’s the centre section from the side.

With the ends attached, and the string fixed, it’s pretty straight!

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