An affordable ground station antenna system with 3,0 meter diameter mesh dish antenna for S-band satellite communication.
Thanks to specially developed technologies, INTREPID ground station antenna systems can be used to support spacecraft exploration and satellite missions in Earth orbit. This ground station can record telemetry data transmitted to Earth from spacecraft or perform radio science (by adding receivers or transceivers not included with INTREPID). INTREPID ground station antenna systems have very precise mounts that allow accurate tracking of spacecraft, using high directivity antennas – this reduces background noise helping to detect faint signals from spacecraft. INTREPID ground station antenna systems are remotely operated to control antenna position, to detect even the faintest signals.
INTREPID 300S 3.0m S-band ground station antenna system: specifications
- Antenna diameter (m): 3
- Antenna type: Prime focus
- Working band: S-band
- Feed: S-FEED, optimised for 2200-2400 MHz
- Polarization: circular, left and right handed
- Mount: GS-100 antenna tracking system
- Pier: C106-HEAVY High load capacity pier for concrete base
- Remote control: yes
- Maximum slewing speed: 90°/min
- Weatherproof: Yes
High precision GS-100 antenna tracking system.
The INTREPID 300 ground station antenna system does not use an amateur radio antenna rotator, but the GS-100 antenna tracking system that we have specially designed and built to be more robust, precise and reliable. Equipped with automatic tracking and goto system, it allows you to slew to and track your target with great precision. The GS-100 antenna tracking system has 100 Kg load capacity with very high precision pointing and tracking (encoders with a read resolution of 0,0015°). It can also be equipped with a special electronic security system (optional) which “parks” the antenna pointed at the Zenith (the vertical position) when the wind exceeds 50 Km/h, offering the lowest resistance to the wind where it is safely locked.
S-FEED: optimized feedhorn for 2200-2400 MHz
Developed specifically for INTREPID ground station antenna system, the S-FEED feedhorn is designed for optimal illumination of the primary reflector, allowing for high gain while minimizing side lobes and the spillover effect, thus obtaining the best possible performance from the 3 meter parabolic antenna. The feedhorn is designed to allow the reception of dual circular polarizations with support for two Low Noise Amplifiers (LNA) with N-connectors (LNA units are not included with the INTREPID ground station antenna systems). The feedhorn is positioned at the perfect point of focus of the antenna through a rigid structure with four supports to minimize obstruction, with a focusing device to precisely focus and maximize the performance of the entire ground station antenna system.
C106-HEAVY: the high load capacity pier
The WEB300-5 antenna, for its large diameter, can generate a lot of force on the ground – When combined with the weight of the WP-100 mount, a very stable and robust anchoring system is required. The C106-HEAVY pier offers all of these features, and is designed to keep the INTREPID 300S ground station antenna system permanently installed in the field. The INTREPID 300S and the C106-HEAVY pier are designed to be installed on a reinforced concrete base, fixed by means of special high strength bolts. Along with the installation and operation manuals for the ground station antenna system, an example of concrete base design (that the user has to prepare to install the INTREPID 300S and that he has to verify based on terrain type of the ground station antenna system installation location) is supplied.
INTREPID: Apollo 12 Lunar Module that landed on the Moon just 600 feet from the planned target (Surveyor 3 probe).
INTREPID ground station antenna systems are named in honor of the Lunar Module “Intrepid” that landed on the Moon during the Apollo 12 mission in November 1969. Astronauts were able to land the Lunar module in the Ocean of Storms just 600 feet from the planned target: the unmanned Surveyor 3 probe that previously landed on Moon surface on April 1967. Credits: NASA.
