Description
The horn antenna at Bell Telephone Laboratories in Holmdel, New Jersey, was constructed in 1959 to support Project Echo—the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's passive communications satellite project, which used orbiting aluminized plastic balloons as reflectors to bounce radio signals from one point on Earth to another.
The antenna is 50 feet (15 m) in length with a radiating aperture of 20 by 20 feet (6 by 6 m) and is made of aluminum. The antenna's elevation wheel is 30 feet (10 m) in diameter and supports the weight of the structure by means of rollers mounted on a base frame. All axial or thrust loads are taken by a large ball bearing at the apex end of the horn. The horn continues through this bearing into the equipment cab. The ability to locate receiver equipment at the apex of the horn, thus eliminating the noise contribution of a connecting line, is an important feature of the antenna. A radiometer for measuring the intensity of radiant energy is found in the equipment cab.
The triangular base frame of the antenna is made from structural steel. It rotates on wheels about a center pintle ball bearing on a track 30 feet (10 m) in diameter. The track consists of stress-relieved, planed steel plates which are individually adjusted to produce a track flat to about 1/64 inch (0.4 mm). The faces of the wheels are cone-shaped to minimize sliding friction. A tangential force of 100 pounds force (400 N) is sufficient to start the antenna in motion.
To permit the antenna beam to be directed to any part of the sky, the antenna is mounted on a turntable, with the axis of the horn horizontal. Rotation about this axis affords tracking in elevation while the entire assembly is rotated about a vertical axis for tracking in the azimuth.
With the exception of the steel base frame, which was made by a local steel company, the antenna was fabricated and assembled by the Holmdel Laboratory shops under the direction of Mr. H. W. Anderson, who also collaborated on the design. Assistance in the design was also given by Messrs. R. O'Regan and S. A. Darby. Construction of the antenna was completed under the direction of A. B. Crawford from Freehold Borough, New Jersey.
When not in use, the antenna azimuth sprocket drive is disengaged, thus permitting the structure to "weathervane" and seek a position of minimum wind resistance. The antenna was designed to withstand winds of 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) and the entire structure weighs 18 tons.
A plastic clapboarded utility shed 10 by 20 feet (3 by 6 m), with two windows, a double door and a sheet metal roof, is located next to the Horn Antenna. This structure houses equipment and controls for the Horn Antenna and is included as a part of the designation as a National Historic Landmark. The antenna has not been used for several decades..
Read more about this topic: Holmdel Horn Antenna
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