10Ghz Panel Antenna?

[VK1JA]

G'day All,

I did the usual 'stop past the recycling depo't after I dropped load of green waste off at the tip the other day and came across this - a satellite flat panel antenna with a frequency range of 10.7Ghz to 12.75Ghz.

Being a curious fiddler I did a quick google search and came up with this site http://attisat.gr/engl_lang_ver/engl_fl500_tecnica.asp which claims a gain figure of >35.5db, along with some other claims such as;

•The width of the main lobe of flat antennas is 25% smaller with respect to parabolic antennas of similar size, while the level of their side lobes is about 10 dB lower. Due to this, ATTISAT flat antennas present better interference rejection from neighboring satellites.
•ATTISAT flat antennas have a radiation efficiency of 85%, while parabolic antennas only reach typically 60%.

So got me wondering two things. First, can the panel antenna be used for the 10Ghz band, and second, how/what is the antenna design - so for $20 I bought it to fiddle with...

Has anyone seen such an antenna before? Doing a google brings up a few pages of people using them for satellite tv etc with good reviews.

So, on to the pictures - remembering the panel is only 5cm thick and 53cm square (great for portable work IF I can get it working on the 10Ghz band).

The interesting part is under the LNB. The LNB has the normal antenna with a reflector element etched onto a circuit board (all inside the LNB), but it seems the whole panel antenna is one big director that sits infront of the antenna - see the last few pictures. I did have a try at removing the front cover of the panel antenna, but it seems like it's held on with about 6-7 clips on each edge and removing it will damage the cover in the process and thus exposing it to the elements.

I was hoping to gut the LNB and retune the antenna/reflector to the 10Ghz band, then mount it back in the panel and do a sweep and see what the return loss is like - I might even just to a sweep with the current antenna/reflector after I gut the LNB.

Thoughts/ideas?

[VK1JA]

More pictures to follow, again, interesting part is under the LNB in the panel antenna.

[VK1JA]

And this should be the last lot of pictures.

[VK1JA]

I just found a youtube clip of the panel without the front cover on it - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR-AIwR6AuA



Action starts at 36seconds in, and it's NOT in English.

Seems to be a patch panel design ?