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PRATHAM Ground Station

GGITM, Bhopal

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Progress Report

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Project- PRATHAM

Project ‘PRATHAM’ was initiated by IIT-Bombay to launch the first student’s satellite. The aim of the satellite is to measure TEC (Total Electron Count) of the ionosphere and prepare TEC map of India.This project requires installation of ground-station at various locations across India.

This project was undertaken by GGITM (Gyan Ganga Institute of Technology and Management) in Bhopal.

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Contributors to the Project

ISRO: It has mentored this project and will launch this satellite.

IIT-B: It took the initiative to launch the first student satellite and also involving students from other universities in setting up ground station.

GGITM: It is setting up a ground station in Bhopal.

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Objectives

The main objectives of our project are:

• To establish two independent crossed yagi antenna at 437MHz & 145 MHz in GGITM campus.

•To involve juniors from our college in building the ground station.

• To share knowledge within our institute in the field of satellite communication & antenna designing.

• To make GGITM, Bhopal a respected centre in field of student satellite communication technology.

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Task Design a Yagi antenna having following characteristics:-• 1) Frequency = 437 MHz & 145 MHz• 2) Gain = 10 dB approx (437Mhz) and 7 dB approx(145MHz).

Read general concepts of antenna and Yagi antenna Learn to simulate a Yagi antenna Validate the parameters obtained from simulation Construct a Yagi antenna with the help of obtained

parameters .

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Work We Have Done

• Hardware Calculated antenna parameters for both the frequencies Study of AM Transmitter and Receiver Fabrication of Antenna

• Software Simulation of simple antenna using NEC Simulation of a Yagi antenna NEC Study of radiation patterns Tracking Software

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Snapshots..

3 Element 5 Element

Antenna Elements…

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Briefing Sessions..

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Proposed Site

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Our Calculated Antenna Parameters

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Parameters 145 MHz 437 MHz

• Wavelength (in meters)• Dipole (in meters)• Director (in meters)• Reflector (in meters)• Spacing b/w Arm of Folded Dipole (in meters)• Director Spacing (in meters)• Reflector Spacing (in meters)

2.06760.92190.85861.04720.04200.37800.4528

0.686000.315560.301840.329280.020000.109760.15090

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Antenna Simulation at 437 MHz

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Basic Ground Station Configuration

Antenna

Preamplifier

Receiver

Computer

Rotor mechanism

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Future Tasks

•Fabrication of Antenna – antenna elements

•Testing of Antenna – frequency wise and strength wise

•Receiver Circuit

•Rotor and Motor interfacing

•Final Ground station setup

TimelineBy July’11

By Aug’11

By Sep’11

By Oct’11

By Nov’11

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Difficulties

• Calculation of TEC• Practical Antenna-Dipole gap• RLC Loading• Estimation of atmospheric and polarization losses

Post Data Requirements-• Signal strength Analysis, Data storage / analysis and

computers

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Team

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SARP (Student’s Association for Research and Project) GGITM

1. Abhijeet Mishra2. Abhishek Patel3. Aditya Kumar Bhatt4. Aditya Rai5. Amay Chandekar6. Ankit Chahare 7. Garvita Agrawal8. Govinda Chandak9. Nikhil Jain 10. Sacheta Singh11. Saiyam Jain12. Shubhangi Rohilla 16

Team members:

Dr P. S. Venkataramu Principal