HartRAO Home > news > 1.3cm Receiver Testing 2006/05/22
Testing of the new surface indicated that this was likely to be the case, so development of a 22 GHz (1.3 cm wavelength) receiver began in 2005. The receiver was completed in 2006 April, and the images below show the receiver under test.
Staff admire the new receiver at rollout on 2006 April 11. From the left: Gert Agenbag, Piet Louw, Jonathan Quick, Keith Jones, Roland Huang, Neels Visser, Jacques Grobler, and a quizzical Sharmila Goedhart.
Keith Jones keeps a close eye on Jacques Grobler as he works on the calibration noise diode.
A portrait of the new receiver in its fetching colour scheme.
2006 May 22 and the receiver is on the roof of the workshop to get a good horizon for tipping curves. The air is relatively dry following the passage of a severe cold front. The angled dark box on the left contains eccosorb to act as an ambient load at which the feed can be aimed. The dark blue box below the receiver contains the cold load, which is filled with liquid nitrogen. A hose leads from the liquid nitrogen dewar to the cold load. Jacques Grobler is tilting the receiver to take a tipping curve measurement.
Keith Jones provides live voicemail between Jacques and...
...Jonathan Quick in the corridor below with the radiometer, who is taking the measurements.
Day two of the calibration and the experimental setup has been altered to bring the loads closer to the receiver. From the left, Piet Louw, Keith Jones and Ben Klein wait as readings are taken.
Closeup of the cold load in the bath of liquid nitrogen.
George Nicolson, with back to camera, and Jonathan Quick consider the numbers.
George takings readings from the radiometer while Jon notes the frequency.