WSS-420 Satellite Tracking System Building Blocks

This rotator package consists of the WR-ARP-ELAZ-100 dual-axis rotator/positioner, a USB interfaced control unit with application software, as well as a power supply and ancillary cables. The rotator is of robust construction with high quality steel gears, two worm drives per axis and in-built self-protection. Rotator elevation and azimuth positioning is achieved with an accuracy of 0.5 degrees. The software automatically performs the positioner calibration upon installation, while providing manual controls for offset alignment. An optional Automatic Tracking Controller software application is available in conjunction with the controller unit.

The WR-AST-146 is a strong and robust steel tripod with a fixed mast length of 146 cm (4.79 ft). Individually adjustable telescopic upper legs allow for coarse levelling of the tripod against inclinations of up to 20 degrees. Articulated feet which are adjustable vertically, allow for fine levelling, even at slanted mounting points. The device mounting point at the top of the mast is a solid steel bar, precision machined to fit perfectly into the WR-ARP-ELAZ-100 rotator shaft holder.

The WR-AX-400D is a 120 cm (3.94 ft) dish with a focal distance of 45 cm (17.7"), constructed from six solid steel panels, powder coated with a beige colour. Support arms and a mounting bracket are provided for a prime focussed feeder or LNB. Dish gain varies from 24 dBi in the L-Band to 40 dBi in the Ku-Band. The dish is supplied with nuts, bolts and two pre-drilled mounting brackets for mounting onto any 65 x35 mm (2.56" x 1.38") structure at two points.

The WR-ARP-DSA-AX400 Dish Support Assembly serves as support structure. Two are needed to mount the dish onto the rotator. Each assembly consists of four counterweights, a counterweight arm and a rotator arm, which can be purchased separately as individual items. The parts are shipped unassembled with matching screws. Integrated nut inserts ensure quick assembly.

The WR-AX-G400-PF Patch Feeder is an L-Band feeder designed for left hand circular polarization (LHCP) and optimised for the frequency range 1690 - 1710 MHz. The feeder provides a gain of 8.5 dBi and a VSWR of typically 1:1.15 around the center of this range. A -3dB beamwidth of 85° provides optimum illumination for a dish with f/D ratio of 0.35 to 0.4. The feeder has a diameter of 164 mm (6.46") and height of 40 mm (1.57"). The enclosure is made from powder-coated aluminium.

The WR-RCU-100-ATC Automatic Tracking Controller Software is an optional application for the WR-ARP-ELAZ-100 Rotator, which is provided as standard with the WSS-420 system. It provides manual steering of the rotator to point the dish at any geostationary satellite in its list, as well as fully automatic tracking of any orbiting satellite for which it holds TLE data. This applies to hundreds of satellites in many different categories, including communication, military, navigation, scientific, weather and earth resources.

The WR-G400 Downconverter is a feedpoint-mount IP-65 rated unit that converts a block of L-Band frequencies down to mid-band VHF, centered around 142 MHz. It translates an input frequency range of 1680-1712 MHz down to an output frequency range of 127-159 MHz with a fixed gain of 55 dB, using a single conversion process. The device employs a low phase noise oscillator with excellent stability.

The WR-G420i Weather Satellite Data Receiver is an advanced DSP-based BPSK receiver which coherently demodulates HRPT data from NOAA satellites and CHRPT data from FengYun-1D. The receiver has an input frequency range of 120-160 MHz and comes in a PCI plug-in form factor. The accompanying software provides fully automated dish positioning, real-time polar orbit satellite tracking, high-level receiver control, data frame processing and recording, as well as satellite weather image output and display.

The optional WR-WSDA-420 Weather Satellite Data analyzer is a software application that offers a comprehensive set of invaluable tools for professional meteorologists or weather enthusiasts alike, to perform post-processing on captured satellite remote sensing data. The product set includes NOAA standard enhancement curves, sea surface temperature, land surface temperature, vegetation index and more.