2.4 GHz Dual Feed Helix Antenna For QO100

[@stevecarlisle3323]

For anyone really interested in the U wave bands, the ARRL has produced a few great reference manuals for tx/rx on these bands.

[@alf-omega]

I'm only just getting into this stuff, started with the 2m and 7cm bands, ducked down to 40m, 20m and 10m and now you're turning me on to satellites!! Who knew there was such a thing just sat there!! Really looking forward to trying this stuff out. Thanks for the videos, they're really easy to follow and make the entire thing just sound completely achievable.

[@TechMindsOfficial]

You’re welcome Andy! Glad I can help and hopefully inspire people to try new things! Cheers, Matt

[@zerobow9413]

Heat the antenna a bit to get all the moisture out, put an O ring seal on the thread or plumbers tape & a desiccant bag. You can test the radome by putting it it the microwave and see if it gets warm [bad] cold=good] [20sec or so]

[@TechMindsOfficial]

Thanks 🙏

[@alexscarbro796]

20 seconds to determine if 14 hours were well spent :-) I guess a material with few additives (ie pigments) and a low dielectric constant (i.e. close to air), would be best. I wonder which of the easily printable filaments best fits this specification, perhaps polycarbonate?...

[@TechMindsOfficial]

Apparently PETG is the best filament to use, but I don’t have any yet.

[@stevenjessop7819]

Thanks for sharing this antenna design and thanks to the original designer too. i was wondering about the attenuation through the black PLA but you addressed it right at the end so im happy HI! im right at the beginning of looking at getting into the microwave bands so im getting a feel for how other people are doing things before i go out and buy my own kit, thanks for another great vid 73 Steve - G5ZX

[@TechMindsOfficial]

Thanks Steve. In fact I have purchased a spool of PETG to reprint the cone as I’ve been told the PLA can warp over time in the sun.. Just havnt got round to it yet, plus it takes around 11 hours or more :-(

[@jgwimmer]

Standard antenna on my Motorola Tactical SATCOM LST-5B 25 radio years ago in the Air Force....

[@m1geo]

Looking at 6:45 were you show your dish, you don't appear to have adjusted your LNB for "skew". On QO-100 in the UK it's around 17 degrees.

[@TechMindsOfficial]

That’s because I don’t use the dish for receive because I have an endless amount of trees in the way. Luckily my 20 watts of RF power at 2.4GHz burns through those trees and gets me a moderate signal to the bird. But yes, you are totally right, there should be a skew on the LNB for optimum Performance. Love your blog btw!

[@m1geo]

@@TechMindsOfficial Thanks for the kind words, and thanks for the really useful video! I've been using a WiFi Yagi (with a 2:1 VSWR) for my uplink and the performance is poor! Decided I should do something about it! 😂 Take care! George, M1GEO.

[@kapilagm77]

I love the theme music at start up

[@NautilusCL]

Outstanding antenna, i have build helix's, for 1.5Ghz, 1.296Mhz and even for 435Mhz, and its a terrific antenna, with the 435Mhz i can uplink to the AO-91 and AO-92 even with 2w at the rig. I think this is better solution than the potty, the patch antennas are OK but i think helix are better, they are extremely broadband and "forgiving" about manufacture tolerances, and they have always a good axial ratio (axial ratio: how good the circular polarity signal is). And the receive side, you only will have a partial obstruction, not the whole signal coming thru a dielectric lens, that can be very lossy.

[@technophil7560]

Looks very professionnal but you can also build one with electric câble on a PVC tube what works also good

[@TheMrR9]

Awesome stuff. Will have to give this a go.

[@dominionfalls]

Love the satellite videos! Keep up the amazing work.

[@ianxfs]

Looks a very professional job Matt 👍🏻

[@liboriodurante]

Where can you buy a propeller antenna?

[@markg6jvy135]

Watching this makes me want a 3D printer even more - not sure what the bank manager will have to say though 😝 Another quality video Matt cheers 👍

[@TechMindsOfficial]

Haha it took me ages to decide if I should spend the money, now I have one I’m so glad I did. It’s such a useful tool to have.

[@digitalmediafan]

I just wonder what the electricity consumption would be for a 14 hour print out ?

[@nowaymuller6643]

@@TechMindsOfficial Can you PLS explain how you bend that Metal Rod? I bought a long time ago someone for my project but sadly I could not bend them. Someone sad I need to fill the tube with sand and than bend it. Sadly its nearly impossible to do so since the pipe is so damn strong.

[@TechMindsOfficial]

What pipe are you referring to?

[@nowaymuller6643]

@@TechMindsOfficial How did you bend the pipe, rod,.. who we see in your Yagi Antenna?

[@andychow5509]

That antenna looks great. The cone is really cool too.

[@Truenetworks24]

I didn't find the QO100 Helical antenna 3D printing details in the DO8PAT page.can you help me.

[@shanejustice6414]

Hi TM- I'm wondering how your pla printed radome amd baseplate has been holding up with your weather there in GB? I live in Arizona (USA), where the sun eats synthetic materials for breakfast, lunch, AND dinner. It would be very i teresting to know how your 3D parts are holding up. 73!

[@alexscarbro796]

Great job and a really nice video! I wonder how the phase centre of the helix compares to the LNB? There may be some gains to be had by adjusting their positions relative to the dish.

[@GateKommand]

Thanks for an interesting video. Have you considered waxing the cone and dish to prevent rain droplets "sticking" to them? I remember in the early days of analogue satellite broadcasting dish waxing products were available to deter water droplets which caused sparklies on the picture, just a thought.....

[@TechMindsOfficial]

I’ve read a few solutions to water proof it, including using nail varnish. But I’ll look at the wax solutions too

[@vne2328]

That is a brilliant design and I want to make one. Quick questions: If the dish is reflecting received RF towards the LNB, then wouldn't the 2.5 Helix be shadowing a large portion the received signal? Have you compared receive performance with the helix removed?

[@fabhorvi7236]

Great job, congratulations ! for printing the cover did you use supports in the print settings? and what temperatures to set for PETG filament? 73s

[@pimentelrogerio]

Please, what is the thickness of the copper sheet you used as matching and what is the diameter of the coil wire?

[@dogastus]

Thanks for the useful video. I've been considering using a helix feed in front of the LNB like you have done. Can you tell me if you have compared the received signal strength with and without the helix in front of the LNB?

[@TechMindsOfficial]

I haven’t as of yet because my receive is poor on summer due to trees, but now the leaves are dropping off I will be experimenting again, will hopefully do an update video on this. Thanks for watching 🙏

[@dogastus]

@@TechMindsOfficial Thanks for the reply. I had a 5 turn 2.4GHz helix without a reflector. I've just tried temporarily taping it to the front of my LNB. Dissappointingly, this resulted in a drop of signal strength on the TV beacon of 3dB. I think a POTY might be a better bet.

[@dermotflanagan2529]

Just learning about the Pluto, excellent video. Just want to configure Pluto to SDR Console

[@davem0udb]

Matt have you made a video of your Pluto ground station?

[@fotografm]

What did you use for the bias tee for the lnb?

[@TechMindsOfficial]

Was just a cheap bias tee unit from Amazon I think.

[@ivanogiacchi]

Hi, construction data for Helix are not available ?!

[@Alan-bz6iq]

Great video. Did you print the 59mm or 61mm reflector support for the bullseye LNB?

[@TechMindsOfficial]

I printed the 61mm, I did try the 59mm but it was too small for the Bullseye LNB

[@OE8ZZZ]

Hi! I tried to build the Helix like described in the instructions but the SWR will not match exactly at 2.4GHz. It is around 8.5 so way too high. I made the matching vane out of 0.6mm thick copper with the dimensions shown in the instruction. Thanks for your reply and 73

[@todop]

Nice setup

[@TechMindsOfficial]

Thanks 🙏

[@noimnotarobotcanubeleiveit7024]

is it possible to find a pdf of the structure of the helix? i dont have a 3d printer but is i can print a paper template its fast and easy to cut out acrylic sheet also am i rigt in thinking the helix radiates from the baseplate and not the helix? im wondering the best place to put it at the focal point

[@TechMindsOfficial]

Check out my latest video on Version 2 of this product, you can buy direct from the designer ;)

[@peterwallace1018]

I made 1 of these a couple of months ago, it works a lot better than the POTY, but a couple of db's receive is lost due to the lnb looking through the helix.

[@m0pnn]

Great, they are too Peter :). I cannot see the wideband TV beacon with it in front of my LNB mer 2 with helix above LNB mer 7 but signal a couple of s points down on tx.

[@F5VMJ]

Matt...I have a POTY ready to go on an 80cm dish but read that a helix is better for these smaller dishes and are easier to adjust for a low SWR. How did the two compare in your opinion? Performance and adjustment?

[@TechMindsOfficial]

I didn’t do any specific measurements, but I would say the helix works way better for transmit. Receive has always been an issue here, so I can’t compare that. SWR on the helix was pretty easy, with the potty it’s a little trickier because as you adjust the driven plate it can also adjust the circular polarisation which you can only really check with a VNA. Helix for the win for me!

[@F5VMJ]

@@TechMindsOfficial Mmmmm ok. I got the POTY but then as I got more stuck into the subject realised that probably the heliax would be more suited to my dish. As well as avoiding all the kerfuffle of making a hole in the LNB cover and trickier tuning. I think I will squeeze one out (so to speak) in PETG and try a heliax. For your problematic receive: I notice the heliax coil blocks a portion of what the LNB will see of the dish. Have you tried a separate and higher Rx antenna to get over the trees?...a long heliax on your roof maybe?

[@surplusdriller1]

Grate vid as always.

[@finewoodworkingbyJJ]

Thanks for the Video. 73 from Germany Jens

[@lioii]

I've never heard an analyser called that before..!

[@Un_Pour_Tous]

Whats a good Highly directional 915mhz antenna Ether DIY or Commercial That will be good for LoRa?

[@AndrewMurphy8383]

also matt i would switch all the cable to cable that is for the ghz range i think that will help you in the long wrong if you need help finding some just leave me msg

[@M0NXF]

How long is the delivery i ordered last week and still showing as processing the order ?

[@TechMindsOfficial]

Did you get it?

[@M0NXF]

@@TechMindsOfficial Yes mate spoke to Patrick and it was sent out when he said it would be .

[@rodneyhansvegatoro3700]

I really enjoyed the video, it was nice and usefull, thanks!

[@TechMindsOfficial]

You’re welcome, thanks for watching 🙏

[@SV1RXI]

is this on the market?

[@hubzcaps]

Yeeee helical is my fav

[@jonneycon6157]

Use a nail polish remover to make it water and dust proof instead of carry bag bro .nail polish remover is much better than plastic carry bag

[@IanTester]

That's just acetone, isn't it?

[@jonneycon6157]

@@IanTester no it is not just acetone

[@IanTester]

@@jonneycon6157 Okay. A google search turned up this: www.safecosmetics.org/get-the-facts/chemicals-of-concern/nail-polish-removers/

[@jonneycon6157]

@@IanTester actually i said it hydrophobic in nature it mostly used by diy electronics engineers to waterproof there electronic components. Read what i comment and there is no matter it acetone or not

[@MartusTube]

​@@jonneycon6157 Nail polish remover is acetone and it will melt the PLA, sealing the antenna enclosure. Clear nail polish is used by hobbyists to waterproof electronics, by forming a hard laminating layer. Both can be used to achieve the goal of waterproofing this antenna.

[@germanjohn5626]

Wonder what the dielectric constant and absorption of that filament material is you are using. Some of them are horrible at 10Gig and will have a signal loss of more than 10db per 1/8 inch of material thickness. I rather would machine a cone from a piece of Teflon or other low loss material than throwing gain away with cheap plastic. The best way to test it is to put a piece of filament into a microwave oven (plus a cup of water away from it as a load) if the filament melts it is not good for RF. Same with the part holding the spiral, how much of your great swr is because of the loss in the material?

[@TechMindsOfficial]

Dunno, I changed to a patch antenna because the helix shadowed the LNB. Also, there was zero difference in RX level with the cone on or off.

[@suwalalmeena]

i like

[@rfmonkey4942]

nice work & nice transceiver its a shame people give it a bad rap based on racist & political ideology but it is a reflection of the quality of individual your dealing with , ,

[@juozasnarvoisas7516]

Nice design...

[@Blackpro124ff]

Great

[@melonmusk3976]

5 pounds for that aluminum plate? That's crazy.

[@TechMindsOfficial]

Yep, I would like to invest in some tools to cut my own at some point.

[@letmelooktv]

the character spacing on the VNA is rather unfortunate 😂

[@spakkajack]

3.5 turns. that's nearly three and a half.

[@DJ-Brownie-UK]

14 hrs to print , jeez , yet would take seconds to cut the top off a traffic cone

[@DJ-Brownie-UK]

so your telling me you need a 3d printer to make those parts 😂😂😂have you ever heard of a such a stuff called wood ? 🙄🙄🙄

[@TechMindsOfficial]

Well Mr DJ Brownie UK Trademark Copyright, please feel free to make one from wood and then report back how well it works! I’m sure the 10GHz downlink won’t be attenuated one bit! 😂