Smallest dish ever made

[Captain Jack]

OK what's the smallest functional dish that one can buy these days? The idea is to fit one in my man cave, partially as an ornament and partially as an actual receiving dish from a nearby HackRF.

The smallest dish I see is a Technisat Digidish, which is 33cm er... wide? It's square and pretty good looking.

I saw some super tiny ones in Belgium - they must have been no more than 30cm but not sure what they were exactly.

Thoughts?

 

[Miika]

40 cm offset dishes are on German ebay for about 15 euros. It is quite minimum size to receive strong satellites. Then there is a camping dish with plastic suitcase, it's 35 cm offset. I have one with BU single LNB for 54,9E; couple of 56E strongest transponders are also receivable due to wide angle of small dish.

My satellite hobby started, when i bought single polarisation LNB and feedhorn and coupled them with 30 cm electric heater reflector. Later added magnetic polarizer. Back then there were analog still around and i got my first channels from Astra 19E satellite. All channels were noisy, but strongest transponders produced nearly no white-black noise and clear sound. 5+ years ago tried with digital signal, but only one transponder (danish DR-channels) from then-Sirius (5E) got locked.

I have couple of pictures from another pc, if someone interested.

 

[Channel Hopper]

I still have a couple of 30cm offsets in the garage, useful on very thin - bungalow - chimneys.

 

[rolfw]

I've got a couple of the rectangular Sqish units in the garage, bought for a particular job, as they were requested, but then they changed their mind and went for a standard minidish (cheaper).

 

[RimaNTSS]

I think that SMW-OA-200 is the smallest one Tiny 20cm SMW dish (and an old BSB dish)

 

[ozumo]

The Revox AS2000 horn antenna looks like a desk lamp:

Revox AS-2000 Horn Antenna and Motorised Gibertini 105cm

Never bothered before to post any pictures before buying the Revox AS-2000 Horn Antenna. Thought it maybe be of interest to people here. Not finished adjusting signal levels yet, and cable and connectors will need to be wrapped in self amalgamating tape.

www.satellites.co.uk

There was one on Ebay recently but seems to have sold.

 

[Captain Jack]

I think that SMW-OA-200 is the smallest one Tiny 20cm SMW dish (and an old BSB dish)

Oooh now that I have to find! It cannot be much bigger than the sub-reflector off a Fibo dish!

I did look at horns and flat ones but they are a bit ugly. I did like the look of an Arcon Sweety, aka Zehnder Multimo AX40... so might be one to take a look at as well.

 

[zorrin]

You also have the whole series of TDK BS

 

[Channel Hopper]

Somebody else that worked in the 80s should remember a baguette shaped / sized device that worked as a dish.

I never got to take one apart but believe it was a dielectric rod antenna.

https://hamwaves.com/dielectric.rod/doc/us7889149b2.pdf

 

[iandoh]

I've got a couple of the rectangular Sqish units in the garage, bought for a particular job, as they were requested, but then they changed their mind and went for a standard minidish (cheaper).

View attachment 149652

I actually find these really cool and would be interested if you want to let one go for a reasonable price. I'd have gotten one years back but they were silly price.

 

[rolfw]

I actually find these really cool and would be interested if you want to let one go for a reasonable price. I'd have gotten one years back but they were silly price.

I'll have a think Ian, I don't want much for them, think they are twin LNB versions, will dig out later. Whereabouts are you?

 

[rolfw]

I actually find these really cool and would be interested if you want to let one go for a reasonable price. I'd have gotten one years back but they were silly price.

 

[SkyWatcher]

Somebody else that worked in the 80s should remember a baguette shaped / sized device that worked as a dish.

I never got to take one apart but believe it was a dielectric rod antenna.

https://hamwaves.com/dielectric.rod/doc/us7889149b2.pdf

I remember those, grey weren’t they? Can’t find a picture of one though online.

I now feel ancient as I think how long ago that was.

 

[rolfw]

LX2000 Tube Antenna

 

[SkyWatcher]

LX2000 Tube Antenna

That’s it

 

[dmaavrigdo]

OK what's the smallest functional dish that one can buy these days? The idea is to fit one in my man cave, partially as an ornament and partially as an actual receiving dish from a nearby HackRF.

The smallest dish I see is a Technisat Digidish, which is 33cm er... wide? It's square and pretty good looking.

I saw some super tiny ones in Belgium - they must have been no more than 30cm but not sure what they were exactly.

Thoughts?

I used a folding steamer held in my left hand and an lnb in my right hand to watch the news of Diana's death while floating down a French canal.

 

[Channel Hopper]

LX2000 Tube Antenna

There was also a dark brown clone that looked like it had escaped from a Bavarian sausagefest.

 

[Channel Hopper]

I remember those, grey weren’t they? Can’t find a picture of one though online.

I now feel ancient as I think how long ago that was.

A review from two decades ago

Welcome Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity

Home Theater Systems and Audio Components | Audio Visual Equipment Product Reviews, Technical AV Guides, Home Theater Equipment and Product Reviews

hometheaterhifi.com

 

[nashman123]

I actually find these really cool and would be interested if you want to let one go for a reasonable price. I'd have gotten one years back but they were silly price.

Check out Selfsat on ebay. Or (ebay)-kleinanzeigen in Germany.

 

[rolfw]

Check out Selfsat on ebay. Or (ebay)-kleinanzeigen in Germany.

The selfsat is pretty much identical to the one I show above. Smallest dish ever made