I've just assembled a 3m satellite dish which I acquired second hand a
few years ago. I'm hoping to do some radio astronomy/seti work with it.
The problem is, the painted steel reflector surface is quite dirty,
scuffed, etc... I understand that this will not really affect signal
strength but I'm sure that my neighbours (and mother) would appreciate
it if the thing was a little better looking.

My question is, would polishing the surface (after a good clean) with
ordinarily car polish be likely to cause any problems. I'd rather not
have to re-spray the thing.

Thanks,
--
Book

I'd considered that, but since the surface was white to begin with, I'd
guessed the designers had considered it to be an insignificant issue.
The LNB is going to be cooled to maintain a stable temperature, but
maybe I need to pull out the spray gun.

--
Book


9A4DE wrote:

My question is, would polishing the surface (after a good clean) with
ordinarily car polish be likely to cause any problems. I'd rather not
have to re-spray the thing.


Dont do this! 3m polished dish + solar heat = melted feed. Paint it with
matte gray paint and even then be careful and dont point it in the sun.

GL de 9A4DE


Thanks,
--
Book

On Thu, 05 Feb 2004 05:43:50 +0000, Book
wrote:

I'd considered that, but since the surface was white to begin with, I'd
guessed the designers had considered it to be an insignificant issue.
The LNB is going to be cooled to maintain a stable temperature, but
maybe I need to pull out the spray gun.


Fellows,

Almost everything is white (brightly reflective) to InfraRed.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

On Thu, 05 Feb 2004 05:43:50 +0000, Book
wrote:

I'd considered that, but since the surface was white to begin with, I'd
guessed the designers had considered it to be an insignificant issue.
The LNB is going to be cooled to maintain a stable temperature, but
maybe I need to pull out the spray gun.

I once painted a C band dish with some "Imeron" paint I had left over.
This is what they use on airplanes and pretty much the same as new
cars. It has a finish like a mirror.

The dish looked great, and worked great.
However.... Twice a year the sun moves through the beam of the dish.
I came home one fall day, October I believe, to find that in just the
two or three minutes the sun was in the beam width of the antenna, it
had melted everything except the casting and loop in the feed horn.

Four cans of flat black spray paint later (and a new feed horn) it was
back in service. In the summer and when the sun is close to the beam
width of the dish, the dish itself gets too hot to touch, but the feed
horn stays cool.

sigh and it was a really good paint job too. BTW, Imeron is
something like $150 a gallon. It only took a little to do the dish.
That dish now has the most expensive undercoat in the region.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com