Thinking outside of the Dish

4 posts / 0 new

Fri, 06/02/2017 - 09:40

KD2BKD

Since the elevation pattern of the NS is already fairly narrow for both the vertical and horizontal antennas, wouldn't a single parabolic cone, with the NS angle at its focus, be possible?

Bob in NNJ

Fri, 06/02/2017 - 13:28

KD2BKD

The reflective surface could be metal screen (1/4” chicken wire) so it does not catch the wind. Each of the reflective parabola surfaces at each end can be easily calculated. I would think that the screen being linearly stretched between the parabolas would work?

Mon, 06/05/2017 - 04:33

(Reply to #2) #3

zl4dk

I have been thinking the same

I have been thinking the same. The NS actually has a narrower beamwidth in the elevation plane and a wider beamwidth in azimuth (assuming it is standing upright). Therefore the mesh should extend above and bellow the NS a bit and wrap around it. It would pay to check the actual specs for the beam angles. and wouldn't hurt to make the mesh a bit larger than necessary. The NS would be located at the focus (or technically the imaginary source point of the NS). This might require a bit of trial and error. The actual increase in gain will depend on the full size of the mesh. It shouldn't be hard to get 4 or 5 dB extra (which would be useful). It may be possible to get significantly more. This kind of reflector would narrow the beamwidth in azimuth but leave the same beamwidth in elevation. Therefore the arrangement would tend to become a single direction device instead of a "sector" device.

Mon, 06/05/2017 - 21:31

(Reply to #3) #4

KD2BKD

NanoStation specs are available here.

https://dl.ubnt.com/datasheets/nanostationm/nsm_ds_web.pdf

They have angle and graphic data.

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