I need to make a sattelite dish, one where the signal can reach at least 15 miles. What should I do?

What is it for?

RDP

So, not really a satellite dish (i.e. sending and/or receiving data from a satellite) but more of a unidirectional signal transmitter?

It would help to know what it'll be for.

MM

I sense a possible troll...

Well, while we wait on his response, let's discuss the possibilities here.

Topic: Unidirectional transmitters

Here's some thoughts:

1) In high school, my physics teacher hooked up a microphone to a laser, and shot the laser at a detector, which was in turn connected to a speaker. And it worked! pretty cool stuff. So, light is a good option, and lasers are not terribly expensive. You could set up an aiming system with some screws pretty easily. Of course, the drawback is that you have to have line-of-sight (or a real clever mirror system!) to make it work.

2) parabolic dishes. Obviously, you'd be working a satellite dish in reverse. I don't know very much (okay, nothing at all!) about radio transmission, but I could probably learn enough about it in a weekend to make a simple transmitter/receiver pair. I'm not sure how much a parallel beam from a dish would spread out over long distances, but it's safe to assume it'd give you more tolerance than a laser! However, you've got to "catch" it too.

I like the idea, though. You could set up a high-tech version of cans and strings. The laser version would make a pretty cool cross-campus communication device for college!

You could hook up your PC to the laser and write a simple program. You would enter text, and the program would convert it to morse code (or some other convenient mode of on/off communication) and beam out the message with the laser (attached via USB or something). Then, your friend across campus would pick it up on his reciever, and his PC would translate it back.

Sentinal;

That's funny, my electronics teacher had the same set up in highschool. It could do more than on off signals though. It actaully was able to send voice.

Turns out he donated the lazer to a local comunity college and lost the reciever. :(

MM

http://www.engadget.com/2005/11/15/how-to-build-a-wifi-biquad-dish-antenna/

This. I'm sick of dial up, and also think it would be better to build a dish for this purpose. I am trying to build this just to play my ps3 online.

http://www.engadget.com/2005/11/15/how-to-build-a-wifi-biquad-dish-antenna/

This. I'm sick of dial up, and also think it would be better to build a dish for this purpose. I am trying to build this just to play my ps3 online.

Sorry dude. To steal wireless, the transmitter has to be strong enough to broadcast 15 miles. You cant just reach into the electromagnetic spectrum and grab any signal you wish.

request denied.

Sorry dude. To steal wireless, the transmitter has to be strong enough to broadcast 15 miles. You cant just reach into the electromagnetic spectrum and grab any signal you wish.

request denied.
What? Are you saying i'm fucked?

Sentinal;

That's funny, my electronics teacher had the same set up in highschool. It could do more than on off signals though. It actaully was able to send voice.

Turns out he donated the lazer to a local comunity college and lost the reciever. :(

MM

I worded that wrong. My physics teacher's setup also sent the voice.

What? Are you saying i'm fucked?

Not really. People have used salad bowls to grab internet signals, like this: http://www.wifi-forum.com/wf/showthread.php?t=71673

You just need to understand how parabolas (and wireless antennas) work.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parabolic_mirror

good start

edit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parabolic_antenna

better

Ok thank you, will read up on it and when i get it to work, will break my modem apart.

Ok thank you, will read up on it and when i get it to work, will break my modem apart.

Might I recommend a water balloon launcher to launch modem out of for optimum lulz. I'm planning to do this to my old modem now that I have high speed.