15 Billion Miles.....
I found this very interesting! I remember very well, the launch of V1 & V2
I found this very interesting! I remember very well, the launch of V1 & V2
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Farthest radio transmission??
- Thread starter Brother DXer
- Start date
Most of you probably know that Voyager 2 was launched first, then Voyager 1.
It was launched16 days before Voyager 1, the primary mission of the spacecraft was to study the outer planets and its extended mission is to study interstellar space beyond the Sun's heliosphere.
It was launched16 days before Voyager 1, the primary mission of the spacecraft was to study the outer planets and its extended mission is to study interstellar space beyond the Sun's heliosphere.
And I thought my bounce to Perth or South Africa was long distance.
The beamwidth of the antenna is amazing. A three element Tri-band HF yagi (20m,15m,10m) beamwidth is around 60-70 degrees with about 7 dbi of gain.
Below is a diagram of the Voyager's 12ft. parabolic antenna. Notice the X-band beam width and gain. The precision needed to point that antenna from 15.5 billion miles away is astonishing. Radio signal takes over 23 hours to travel from the spacecraft to Earth.
Below is a diagram of the Voyager's 12ft. parabolic antenna. Notice the X-band beam width and gain. The precision needed to point that antenna from 15.5 billion miles away is astonishing. Radio signal takes over 23 hours to travel from the spacecraft to Earth.
Awesome Topic, let's not derail it and stay on topic please, thank you.
73
Jeff
73
Jeff
Ok, I can't locate it now, but I read that some time back that they upgraded to a 12 Megawatt transmitter at the station in Australia.
I will see if I can find it again.
It is absolutely incredible that the craft was basically bricked for a time, then suddenly started talking again.
73
Jeff
I will see if I can find it again.
It is absolutely incredible that the craft was basically bricked for a time, then suddenly started talking again.
73
Jeff
I couldn't find much about the specifications of DSS 43. I found some general info on Wikipedia.
"Originally constructed as a 64 m dish in 1973 and enlarged in 1987. It is the largest steerable parabolic antenna in the Southern Hemisphere. It is used by NASA to communicate with Voyager 2; the only antenna remaining on Earth capable to do so. The antenna weighs more than 3000 tonnes and rotates on a film of oil approximately 0.17mm thick. The reflector surface is made up of 1,272 aluminium panels with a total surface area of 4,180 square metres.
"Originally constructed as a 64 m dish in 1973 and enlarged in 1987. It is the largest steerable parabolic antenna in the Southern Hemisphere. It is used by NASA to communicate with Voyager 2; the only antenna remaining on Earth capable to do so. The antenna weighs more than 3000 tonnes and rotates on a film of oil approximately 0.17mm thick. The reflector surface is made up of 1,272 aluminium panels with a total surface area of 4,180 square metres.
I have to correct myself, the complex in Australia, DDS 43 is 400 KW TX and the smaller one is 20 KW.
The space craft itself is around the 22-23 watt range!
73
Jeff
The space craft itself is around the 22-23 watt range!
73
Jeff
That's really incredible! With the antennas 48dB gain, that would give quite a substantial ERP............in the tens of thousands of watts, all focused into one insanely tight beam. The part I find amazing is that the spacecraft can maintain position and trajectory accurately enough to keep the antenna pointing at a very very very distant Earth. It's all pretty mind boggling really!
Makes my 12 watt sideband contact with New Zealand look like child's play by comparison LOL!
The Voyager craft design started in the early 1970's based on the Pioneer 10 program. No computer aided drafting back then. Pencil, paper, slide rules, and the gray matter of some very smart people designed these incredibly complicated machines.
Of course the RF amplifiers on the Voyager have a few tube amplifiers. What I didn't know is that the Travelling Wave Tube (TWT) amplifiers are still in production and being used in new satellites.
Here is a lnk to a NASA article about Traveling-Wave Tubes
Here is an article explaining the telecommunications equipment on the Voyager craft. I don't know the date of the article. Voyager Telecommunications
This is a 1970's era device. It is seems fitting that it uses an single eight-track digital tape recorder (DTR) and it still works!
Of course the RF amplifiers on the Voyager have a few tube amplifiers. What I didn't know is that the Travelling Wave Tube (TWT) amplifiers are still in production and being used in new satellites.
Here is a lnk to a NASA article about Traveling-Wave Tubes
Here is an article explaining the telecommunications equipment on the Voyager craft. I don't know the date of the article. Voyager Telecommunications
This is a 1970's era device. It is seems fitting that it uses an single eight-track digital tape recorder (DTR) and it still works!
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Amazing what can be accomplished with a mW signal, ain't it? No splatter-amp needed to work the Solar System.
I love this kind of stuff and it never gets old. They are always discovering!
Thanks for posting, Chris!
Thanks for posting, Chris!