HartRAO Home > Hartebeesthoek 26m Antenna Construction
The 26m radio telescope at Hartebeesthoek was constructed as an 85' antenna for NASA's Deep Space Station 51 in 1960-1. The photographs below emphasize the polar shaft as the 'spine' of the telescope. It was installed as a pre-assembled unit, weighing 16 tons.
The polar shaft ready for hoisting into place.
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The polar shaft being hoisted onto the tripod support structure.
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The polar shaft points upwards to the south at an angle of 25.887 degrees - the latitude of the antenna.
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The supports for the declination drive gearboxes and motors appear as 'ribs' attached to the polar shaft 'spine'.
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The hour angle bull gear being installed. It is attached to the polar shaft.
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The completed hour angle bull gear.
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The antenna can drive in hour angle (east-west).
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The declination shaft being installed. This provides for north-south motion.
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The completed antenna seen from the back. The relatively light structure and mesh surface for operation of a 960MHz receiver at prime focus are evident.
The following pictures were taken in 1968-9 after the antenna was rebuilt as a Cassegrain operating at 2.3GHz. This added significantly to the weight, and the structure was strengthened to support this.
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