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Seems like there's an opportunity to produce an open-source SpaceX compatible antenna that someone could build themselves. I wonder if at some point SpaceX coul
by castratikron 6y ago
Seems like there's an opportunity to produce an open-source SpaceX compatible antenna that someone could build themselves. I wonder if at some point SpaceX could allow this on their network?
- ben_w 6y agoI’m not an electrical engineer, but (both) family members who got electronics qualifications have told me RF phase matching circuits are a PITA to build right, and this antenna is a many-element phased array. They told me this about 20 years ago and I don’t know what’s changed since then. Presumably someone here knows if it’s still hard or if it became easy since 2001?
- sigstoat 6y ago> Seems like there's an opportunity to produce an open-source SpaceX compatible antenna that someone could build themselves. you'd need at least $400 of test equipment to check that the >$100 of parts were working right, and to diagnose any problems. not cost effective.
- dmurray 6y agoThat's certainly not prohibitive in the US. Starlink already charge $500 for hardware and $100/month.
- zbrozek 6y agoI'd be amazed if it's that little in test equipment.
- sigstoat 6y agoindeed. i'm leaning on that "at least" pretty hard. i figured establishing that you'd have to spend as much as the prefab'd hardware cost in order to get something that isn't warrantied, and would be the first thing starlink customer service would blame your problems on, would be enough to make this completely unreasonable.