Professional radio telescope PrimaLuceLab SPIDER 500A MarkII

Professional radio telescope PrimaLuceLab SPIDER 500A MarkII

SPIDER 500A MarkII 5.0 meter diameter professional radio astronomy telescope - main features:

SPIDER 500A MarkII 5.0 meter diameter radio astronomy telescopeRadio astronomy at a professional level, we can ship and install worldwide!
5 meter diameter primary focusing antenna WEB500-5 with specially designed front and rear brackets: includes a power supply optimized for 1420 MHz and 2 LNAs for LHCP and RHCP circular polarization.
Antenna tracking system GS-400II weatherproof with next-generation antenna control unit N-ACUThe control room is connected to the control room via a standard network cable of up to 100 meters in length. Thanks to the optional kit MoF (Mount-over-Fiber), you can place the antenna over longer distances by replacing the network cable with a dedicated optical fiber that can be up to 2 km long.
High load-bearing capacity abutment C400-HEAVY for concrete base: designed to keep the radio astronomical telescope permanently installed in the field.
High antenna tilt speed, now up to 2°/sec per axis, improving data acquisition time during radio astronomy telescope use and integrated safety system with emergency stop button (light and audio signals optional).
Industrial-grade working temperature range: antenna and tracking system SPIDER 500A MarkII can operate in environments with temperatures from -25°C to +55°C.
Radio astronomy receiver H142-PRO 1420 MHz, 50 MHz instantaneous bandwidth radiometer and 1024 channel spectrometer that is installed in the control room in a standard 19" rack or on a table.
Control and acquisition software RadioUniversePRO for Windows 10/11, designed to control all devices of the radio astronomy telescope SPIDER and to collect radio astronomy data.

SPIDER 500A MarkII advanced radio astronomical telescope includes everything needed to perform radio astronomy at the 1420 MHz frequency. In this video, you can see the various elements that make up the radio astronomical telescope: the antenna, the tracking system and the pillar that are installed outside; the receiver and the software that are installed in the control room.

WEB500-5: the 5-meter prime focus dish antenna

The WEB500-5 parabolic antenna has been developed to obtain a powerful radio astronomical telescope, which, thanks to its construction with a fine metal mesh, provides a large collecting surface with a low total weight. Special rear supports maintain the rigidity of the entire dish in the mount, preventing any bending and ensuring the effectiveness of the pointing system. This also helps to maintain a perfect parabolic shape with a maximum error of less than lambda/20.

H-FEED: the feedhorn optimized for 1420 MHz

Developed specifically for SPIDER radio astronomical telescopes, the H-FEED feedhorn is designed for optimum illumination of the primary reflector, allowing high gain while reducing side lobes and spillover, thus obtaining the best possible performance from the 5-meter dish antenna. The feedhorn is designed to allow dual polarization reception, with support for two professional low noise amplifiers (LNA) for the 1420 MHz frequency. The feedhorn is positioned at the perfect focus point of the antenna by a rigid structure with four supports to minimize obstructions, and with a focusing device to adjust and maximize the performance of the entire radio astronomical telescope.

GS-400II: the weatherproof antenna tracking system

Radio astronomy can be performed both day and night, even in cloudy conditions, as the 1420 MHz radio waves are not blocked by clouds. To take advantage of this opportunity, we designed the GS-400II weatherproof antenna tracking system, which allows the SPIDER 500A MarkII radio astronomy telescope to be left permanently installed outdoors. Equipped with N-ACU (Next Generation Antenna Control Unit) electronics integrated into the tracking system, it offers high-resolution automatic tracking and framing, advanced remote control features, as well as efficient monitoring and operational analysis of all components of the antenna tracking system. The GS-400II tracking system has a load capacity of 400 kg and encoders with a readout resolution of 0.0015°. It can also be equipped with a special electronic safety system (optional) that "parks" the antenna pointing to the zenith (the vertical position where it is safely locked) when the wind exceeds 50 km/h, offering the lowest wind resistance.

C400-HEAVY: the high load-bearing capacity support

The WEB500-5 antenna, due to its large diameter, can generate a large amount of force on the ground. When combined with the weight of the GS-400II antenna tracking system, a very stable and robust anchoring system is required. The C400-HEAVY mount offers all of these features and is designed to hold the SPIDER 500A MarkII radio astronomy telescope permanently installed in the field on a concrete base to be prepared by the customer (an example concrete base design is provided in the SPIDER user manual).

H142-PRO: the next-generation 1420 MHz radio astronomy receiver with SPIDER telescopes

The H142-PRO receiver is the latest evolution of our renowned H142-One receiver, developed in collaboration with the Institute of Radio Astronomy INAF in Bologna specifically for SPIDER telescopes. The H142-PRO maintains the professional-grade technologies used by radio astronomers in a user-friendly design specifically designed for and available only with SPIDER telescopes. The H142-PRO features a reduced noise level, providing a superior signal-to-noise ratio for improved capture of weak radio signals from astronomical sources. In addition, the new IPA (Integrated Programmable Attenuator) technology allows signal reduction, avoiding signal saturation when observing strong radio sources such as the Sun with the SPIDER telescope.

Like the previous receiver, the H142-PRO is a 1420 MHz superheterodyne radiometer/spectrometer with double conversion (UP/DOWN type), an instantaneous bandwidth of 50 MHz (RF = 50 MHz), and a frequency bandwidth of 50 MHz1.395MHz-1.445MHz) and a 14-bit analog-to-digital converter. The H142-PRO receiver features a 1024-channel spectrometer (61 KHz spectral resolution) that is displayed and processed in real time using the control software supplied with the telescope. The H142-PRO can be installed in a 19" rack or conveniently placed on a table near the control computer, providing flexibility in various operational environments. Thanks to two dedicated IF outputs, the H142-PRO radio astronomy receiver allows for enhanced performance by adding an optional backend, making it the ideal instrument for educational and research institutions wishing to create a radio astronomy program by also developing their own electronics. Thanks to its high gain, low electronic noise and advanced features, the H142-PRO receiver makes the SPIDER telescope the ideal instrument for capturing and studying radio emissions from numerous radio astronomical sources in the Universe.

RadioUniversePRO: the control, data capture and processing software for radio astronomy

The SPIDER 230C comes with RadioUniversePRO, the most advanced software ever developed for real radio astronomy with compact radio telescopes. This software gives you all the power to control the different components of your radio telescope through an immediate and easy-to-use interface. You don't need to worry about using different programs, as RadioUniversePRO is your intuitive interface for telescope control and data acquisition. It allows you to control the antenna position and receiver acquisition parameters. In this way, you can not only record data coming from the sky (eliminating possible interference from artificial signals), but also perform transits or radio imaging of radio astronomical sources in the sky you want to study.

RadioUniversePRO allows you to save the recorded data in graphical format as displayed in the user interface, but you can also save the raw data in FITS format compatible with NASA's FITS viewer, allowing you to quickly open and view the data and export it for processing with other programs. System requirements are Windows 10/11 (64-bit version recommended), screen resolution of at least 1920 x 1080, 4 GB RAM (8 GB recommended) and an i3 processor (i5 or i7 recommended). RadioUniversePRO is not sold separately and is only supplied with SPIDER telescopes.

SPIDER 500A MarkII 5.0 Meter Diameter Advanced Radio Telescope for Radio Astronomy - Specifications

• Antenna Diameter (m): 5.0
• Antenna Type: Prime Focus
• Feed: Optimized for 1420 MHz, LHCP and RHCP
• Working Frequency: 1395 - 1445 MHz
• Bandwidth: 50 MHz
• LNA: 2 high-gain and stable 1420 MHz LNA units
• Azimuth Max Velocity: 2°/s
• Elevation Max Velocity: 2°/s
• Encoders Read Resolution: 0.0015°
• Radiometer: 50 MHz instantaneous bandwidth
• A/D Converter: 14 bits
• Spectrometer: 1024 channels
• Spectral Resolution: 61 KHz
• Control Software: RadioUniversePRO
• Weatherproof: Yes
• Operating Altitude: 3000 m max (derating of 1% per 100 m above 1000 m)
• Operating Temperature: -25°C to +55°C
• Continuous Wind Speed for Operational Tracking: 50 km/h
• Maximum Wind Speed in Stow Position: 150 km/h
• Weight: 1000 kg
• Supply Voltage: 2×110-240V AC
• Emergency Stop Switch: Yes

SPIDER 500A MarkII 5.0 Meter Diameter Advanced Radio Telescope for Radio Astronomy - Site Preparation

The SPIDER 500A MarkII radio telescope is designed for installation on a concrete base, with an underground duct that connects the antenna to the control room, which the customer needs to prepare before installation (suggested design is included in the user manual). The necessary cables and connections required to link the antenna's external unit to the control room are shown in the manual. Power and grounding systems must be provided by the customer.

SPIDER 500A MarkII Advanced Radio Astronomy Telescope 5.0 meters in diameter: dimensions

SPIDER MarkII radio astronomical telescopes: much more than just an antenna

The SPIDER MarkII radio astronomy telescope is the result of 10 years of research by the SPIDER MarkII engineering team PrimaLuceLab, which designs, develops, assembles and tests all our radio astronomical telescopes in-house. In this way, SPIDER MarkII radio astronomical telescopes offer unmatched performance over standard antennas that are not designed for radio astronomy: better tracking and pointing accuracy, higher sensitivity, dedicated software for radio astronomy, better engineering quality and a great Italian design. Since we manufacture SPIDER MarkII telescopes in our factory in Italy, you can take advantage of the direct relationship with us, the real manufacturers of the radio astronomy telescope. Our pre-sales service can help you with everything you need before you order your telescope. Our after-sales support will provide you with upgrades for the hardware and software products we developed specifically for our telescopes. Our in-house team of trained technicians can also install SPIDER MarkII at your location, worldwide!

Professional radio telescope PrimaLuceLab SPIDER 500A MarkII