CONSTRUCTION OF A RADIO TELESCOPE

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Different gains for different antennas 17

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: A RADIO TELESCOPE 2
Figure 2: GOBER REBER’S FIRST RADIO TELESCOPE 3
Figure 3: PICTORIAL REPRESENTATION OF THE WORKING PRINCIPLE OF A RADIO TELESCOPE 9
Figure 4: LNB (Low Noise Blocker) 15
Figure 5: BNC CONNECTORS 15
Figure 6: SIGNAL AMPLIFIER 16
Figure 7: SATELLITE DISH 16
Figure 8: COAXIAL CORD 17
FIGURE 9: 12-VOLT BATTERY 18
Figure 10: Satellite Finder 19
Figure 11: Stereo Panel mount and VB cable 20
Figure 12: Installation of “1/8 “stereo panel mount 20
Figure 13: Radio Skypipe home page 23
Figure 14: THE CONSTRUCTED RADIO TESLESCOPE 26
Figure 15: DAY 1 READINGS 27
Figure 16: DAY ONE GRAPH OF FREQUENCY AGAINST TIME (12PM TO 1PM) 28
Figure 17: DAY 2 READINGS 28
Figure 18: DAY TWO GRAPH OF FREQUENCY AGAINST TIME (12PM TO 1PM) 29
Figure 19: DAY 1 AND DAY 2 GRAPH OF FREQUENCY AGAINST TIME (12PM TO 1PM) 30

ABSTRACT
In this work I have constructed an IBT radio telescope model, assembling the components and single handedly coupling the components, I made use of a satellite finder, a satellite dish, a signal amplifier and a 12-volt power supply and I tested the Telescope by doing the drift scan of the sun.

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION

1.0 BACKGROUND STUDY
Developments in the technology of electronics and radar provided means for the establishment of radio astronomy. Other discoveries of importance to astronomers were made by chance during the World War II but it was not until its end that the new techniques could be applied to Astronomy research for its own sake.Telescope is an astronomical instrument that could not be completely defined as a word because it has no simple definition. For instance, a telescope used to observe gamma ray can be a pack of electronic sensors launched above the atmosphere while a radio telescope can be a large number of aerials or antennas. There are different types of telescopes such as optical telescope, radio telescope, infrared telescope, ultra violet telescope, x-ray telescope and gamma rays telescope. Telescopes are used to magnify, resolve and gather light. Its magnifying power tells us how many times a telescopic image is larger than a naked eye viewed image. Another property of a telescope is it’s resolving power that is its ability to give a clearer image and gather light.
Radio telescope on its own is a form of directional antenna used in radio astronomy and in tracking and collecting data from satellites and space probes. In their astronomical role, they differ from optical telescope in that they operate in the radio frequency portion of the electromagnetic spectrum where they can detect and collect data on radio sources. Radio telescopes are typically large parabolic dishes used singularly or as an array. The range of frequency in the electromagnetic spectrum that makes up the radio spectrum is very large.