Upgraded SPIDER 300A radio telescope in Medicina radio telescopes Visitor Center
PrimaLuceLab Installation Team just upgraded the SPIDER 300A radio telescope installed in Medicina radio telescopes Visitor Center! Originally installed in 2018, the SPIDER 300A now has a new antenna, a larger and more precise mount (new design with electronics and cables integrated in the mount head) and new receiver and backend with new radio-over-fiber connection, professional backend BKND-Pro and RK-19 rack with remote control features to let users control the radio telescope from anywhere in the World.
We installed the new 3 meter diameter mesh antenna that comes with more rear supports and that allows the mesh dish to have a better parabolical shape. This way the performance of the primary reflector is improved, and this is very important considering the relatively small dimension of the compact radio telescope.
Upgraded SPIDER 300A radio telescope in Medicina radio telescopes Visitor Center.
Also the radio telescope mount has been upgraded with the latest model for the SPIDER 300A. Now the WP-100 mount is larger and more precise. More, it has the remote control electronics included in the mount head and the cables that exit from the underground duct pass in the pier center entering in the mount head. This makes the entire radio telescope even more secure.
Upgraded SPIDER 300A radio telescope in Medicina radio telescopes Visitor Center: new WP-100 mount
In the control room, we upgraded all the systems that are now installed in the RK-19 rack that allow the remote control, virtually from anywhere in the world. We installed the upgraded version of the H142-One radio astronomy receiver together with the new BKND-Pro professional backend for radio astronomy and SETI. We also added the Radio over fiber kit for SPIDER radio telescopes and the CMP-19 computer where we installed the latest version of RadioUniversePRO software to control the SPIDER radio telescope and acquire radio astronomy data.
Upgraded SPIDER 300A radio telescope in Medicina radio telescopes Visitor Center: receiver and backend in the control room.
Having completed the upgrade for all the systems, we had the radio telescope first light by pointing Cassiopea A radio source and we recorded this radio map, captured and processed with RadioUniversePRO software, shown here also with level lines.
Upgraded SPIDER 300A radio telescope in Medicina radio telescopes Visitor Center: first light of the upgraded radio telescope, the radio map of Cassiopea A