Antenna Positioners

Smartly designed and ruggedly built to withstand the most extreme environments, Orbital's antenna positioners are, powerful, fast, high precision instruments suitable for X, C, S and L band tracking applications.

These elevation-over-azimuth positioners are offered in 1.5 through 3 meter sizes and provide accuracy, flexible operation, and reliability unsurpassed in the industry.

2.4AEHP-2.4m

2.4 meter antenna positioner equipped with reflector, satellite tracking ACU, dehydrator, remote GPS antenna with cable, and a comprehensive service tool kit.

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2.4AEHP-3.0m

2.4AEHP mechanism expanded and equipped with a 3.0 m reflector, satellite tracking ACU, dehydrator, remote GPS antenna with cable, and a comprehensive service tool kit. This positioner is intended for use inside a radome but can be used outdoors in reduced wind load conditions as described in the specifications.

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1.8 AEHT and 1.8AEHT-1.5m

Full performance 1.8m mechanism equipped with either a 1.8m or 1.5m reflector, remote GPS antenna with cable, satellite tracking ACU, and a comprehensive service toolkit.

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Features

High speed, powerful servomotors provide precision positioning and rapid slewing.
Standard reflectors are reinforced spun aluminum construction with surface accuracy to 18 GHz.
Sealed mechanical systems permit pressurization of entire unit, including matching feeds, to eliminate damage caused by condensing humidity. Dynamic seals are rated to the last the life to the product and resist damage from sun, ice, ozone and blowing sand.
Electrical systems are designed and built to meet stringent safety standards. All positioners are CE marked.
A variety of matching feeds are available for various applications. Custom feeds are available.
See sidebar for design and construction benefits.

Applications

With the corresponding RF components installed, typical applications for these positioners are:

EOS DB reception – X-Band Terra, Aqua, NPP, JPSS, FY3; L-Band NOAA, FY1; and other X and L Band EOS satellites
SARSAT reception – MEO satellites in S and L Bands
General telemetry – downlinks and uplinks in X, L, and S Bands
General positioning applications – 3DR radar, autotracking, test range telemetry and camera tracking, etc.

Need a complete Direct Broadcast (DB) reception system?

Orbital Positioners Perform Better Because:

Advanced engineering, superior materials and in-house manufacturing make our positioners intrinsically more robust and maintenance-free.

Reflector

Solid spun aluminum reflector with aluminum feed supports and reflector mount eliminates rust.
Reflectors have high surface accuracy for excellent high frequency performance.
Designed to drain and deflect rainfall away from the electrical cabinet where key components are housed.

Pressurization

Entire system (positioner+feed) is sealed and pressurized with dehydrated air or nitrogen gas to prevent corrosion of controller, electromechanical parts and feed. This also eliminates internal rust problems such as failing brakes and weakened gears.
Temperature and humidity sensors are monitored by the ACU which automatically purges the system when needed with fresh, dry air or nitrogen. By eliminating condensing humidity the reliability of the system is greatly increased.
If pressurization fails – the antenna still runs.

Motors & Gears

All designs use servomotors and 4 quadrant drives that minimize power consumption while providing full torque at near zero velocity.
Elevation over Azimuth fully counterbalanced systems draw little power while tracking unless subject to significant wind load.
Integrated mechanical system components, with IP65-rated brushless motors and internal brakes, matching motor drives tied to generously overrated heavy-duty gears.
Gears and drives automatically heat as needed for full performance to -40°C.
Gears are enclosed in a cast housing, to further protect gear lubricants from dust and moisture for maximum longevity.

Tracking

Built-in precision GPS timing and location reference.
Positioners are controlled over RS422 links. RS422 to Ethernet converters are provided to simplify interfacing to control computer systems.
Using the simple control interface TLE ephemeris is stored for each satellite and the antenna tracks on command by simply naming the satellite.
No indoor rack space needed, controller located in electrical cabinet at base of positioner.
High speed azimuth axis allows reliable tracking of X and L Band satellites with no keyhole effect.

Finish and Materials

All structural metal is made from Aluminum with stainless steel fasteners to eliminate rust.
Exposed surfaces are powder coated or hard anodized to maintain an excellent finish appearance for many years to come.

Feeds

Higher performance than most standard feeds: typ. 2.4m X-L performance is 24.5db/K and 8 db/K with considerable filtering in L band to eliminate mobile communications interference.
Completely integrated with the communication control channel of the positioner.
Built-in purge valve ventilates the entire antenna when excess humidity is detected in the electrical cabinet or feed.
For positioners without slip rings and rotary joints, the internal flex cables that connect to the feed are rated for life of product.