Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- start [2025/02/09 18:36] – w1xm
+++ start [2026/08/22 15:20] (current) – [Radome Wiki] dsheen
@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 The radome is a 27-foot composite sphere (Essco S27-83) on the roof of MIT building 54 containing an 18-foot circular radar dish on an SCR-584 alt-azimuth radar rotor. It is owned and operated by the MIT UHF Repeater Association W1XM but used for a variety of purposes including:
-  * Amateur radio
+  * [[Amateur_radio|Amateur radio]]
-  * Radio astronomy
+  * [[radio_astronomy|Radio astronomy]]
-  * Satellite communications
+  * [[satcom|Satellite communications]]
-  * General experimentation
+  * [[experimental|General experimental use]]
 This wiki is intended to be comprehensive technical documentation of the radome's mechanical, electrical, computing, and radio systems to support future maintenance and experimental work.
 ===== Structure of Radome Systems =====
+{{ :radome_diagram.svg |Concept diagram of radome systems and interconnections, edit in Inkscape}}
 The radome is located on a steel column on the roof of building 54. At the base of the pedestal, there is a climate-controlled rack containing networking equipment, a control computer, and radios.
-The radar dish is mounted on an SCR-584 radar rotor that has been modified with a modernized motion control system. The radar rotor sits on a steel pedestal within the radome. There is an RF rotary coupler and rotating table hanging under the pedestal to allow for mounting equipment like power amplifiers.
+The radar dish is mounted on an SCR-584 radar rotor that has been modified with a modernized motion control system. The radar rotor sits on a steel pedestal within the radome. There is an RF rotary coupler and rotating table/carousel hanging under the pedestal to allow for mounting equipment like power amplifiers.
 The motion control system is controlled over CANbus, which runs to the control computer in the climate-controlled rack.
-LMR-400 RF cables connect the non-rotating lower portion of the RF rotary coupler to the radio(s) in the climate-controlled rack.
+LMR-400 RF cables connect the non-rotating lower portion of the RF rotary coupler to the radio(s) in the climate-controlled rack. Additionally, Heliax RF cables have been run from the feedpoint to lower on the dish, with the intent that they can be used for RF power amplifiers on the rotating table/carousel.
+Fiber optic cables connect the software-defined radio in the rack to a switch in 54-2101 and to more powerful servers in the 19th floor server room.