[Moon-net] Jamesburg Dish Surface Mappng Preliminary Results

[Pat Barthelow]

Folks:

Mike Brenner called me with a few notes from our weekend Jamesburg Dish 
surface mapping project.  He mapped the surface, using his special software 
and hardware system, using a Surveyor's Total Station theodolite, containing 
a laser distance meter.  I am really happy he was successful in gathering 
the desired information,  (not easy, physically) and look forward to finding 
out how good the dish surface is.
Mike informed me that the dish was a "special" one with enhanced gain in the 
main lobe, of maybe a couple dB, that modified the secondary reflector and  
primary reflector surfaces from their standard Parabloa-hyperbola 
configuration.  A side effect of the special dish is poorer sidelobe 
performance.  At the time of design  (late-mid 60s) that was not an issue, 
but it may be now, that spacing of geosynchrounous sats are closer together. 
  Any big dish professionals out there, that can give me more detailed 
information on the consequences of the shaped dish characteristics?   Can 
this dish ever be used for geosynchronous satellite communications?
Does the enhanced shaping add any limits to usable bandwidth?

I am working with some success at finding suitable buyers for the dish and 
the property it is on, and have some prospects that are "Ham Friendly", that 
is will allow/encourage continued ham EME use when the dish is not otherwise 
used.
Hope to see you soon from the moon...

73, DX, de Pat AA6EG aa6eg at hotmail.com;
Skype: Sparky599
Moon or Bust!--Jamesburg Gang Rides Again!