Trust1 said:
Yes, there are some (few) companies trying to put these antennas on the market..
See this video for a motorized version to work on a train, another thing about these antennas is using a motor, the antenna doesnt need to move, only the LNB
:
_http://www.technologyreview.com/video/?vid=199
CROSSBONES said:
I read an article in Telesatellite, about an Indian guy who did the same set up on a globe type dish
All my ideas came from that Indian guy (Farragsat), but i dont know how did he get some very high efficiency antennas
I can get 130% in a 15cm version, but bigger the sizes, smaller is the efficiency..but i dont believe anyone using a 1.5meter sphere..the dimensions/volume are....
A 62cm half-version without reflector (10cm cut to reduce volume)..have 36.2dBi, +-70%.
Analoguesat said:
Fascinating casser
As a matter of interest how well does it perform?
I believe the antennas have the same 3dB extra gain like Conical Horn´s..adding the high efficiency (100%), a 40cm version will perform like a 80cm dish. Adding to their multibeam capabilities, i think is the perfect antenna for medium dimensions. I have a feeling that a half version with reflector loose the 3dB extra..
Check farragsat site, he says that a 50cm version (with 35dBi) can receive up to 45dBW satellite..
The secret of these antennas is the material to use on it and since one layer version works pretty good..it´s much more simple than the original Luneberg principle. All we need to get is a right material with a DC between 1.6 and 2.2 and it should not be very lossy at 12.75Ghz. This sugar version is a life dream for ants
I prefer to look for Powdered/small granulated materials because the density of materials change the dielectric constant. It can be a material so simple like Sugar (i was lucky on this one), but it can be a bunch of other things..Maybe it´s possible to get a powdered material with DC >2.2 and mix with styrofoam (DC=1.02, which is pretty close to vacuum), and get the perfect DC.
A 25cm version will work up to 50dBW, if you want to try some powdered/granulated materials, get a "street ball of lightning" / beach ball / basket ball/ anything oval (except glass/metal balls)..make a hole in it, and fill the ball with the material. If the material have a DC=2.0/2.1, the FC will be almost at the surface of the ball, lower is the DC.. far is the FC from the ball.
Sorry for the long statements..but more people understanding how simple this antenna is, more people will try it using different materials, more easily we can get the perfect material to make our own multibeam/multifrequency/high efficiency antenna