When I say 'satelite dish', I mean the old style, 10-12 foot models. I'm the proud owner of two (one 10 and one 12 foot, both are mesh and aluminum frame).
First problem, how to calculate the focus. Heavy math was many years ago for me, had trouble with a recent concrete pyramid project... I'm sure if given an equation, I can still solve it.
Second problem is the mesh. The 10 foot dish has the mesh intact, though about getting reflective paint and seeing how that turns out. Hope to get enough heat to boil water. Melting lead alloys would be much better, but a little optimistic. The mesh on the 12 foot dish was held on by cable ties, between weathering and my cat, most eventually broke, so its just a frame now.
I saved some (about 500 square feet) of mylar/bubble wrap type shipping insulation. They throw this stuff away almost daily at work, seemed like useful stuff...
Haven't messed with it in a while, but got the itch again. My first experiments weren't exactly ideal. I didn't have a decent temperature probe, and it was slightly overcast and windy. I simply taped the mylar wrap to the 10 foot dish and layed out in the yard, basically pointing toward the sun. Definately focused the sun, big difference in temperature standing near it. I measured around 170 degrees near where the reciever/detector was mounted (guessing focus). Wind kept pulling the wrap off the dish, haven't figured a more perment way to anchor it yet.
Anyway, a little constructive feedback. I'd like to boil water at the very least. Useful for coffee, distillation, steam power...
Higher temperatures 460-470 dgrees F would be good for melting pewter (unreleated hobby)...
First problem, how to calculate the focus. Heavy math was many years ago for me, had trouble with a recent concrete pyramid project... I'm sure if given an equation, I can still solve it.
Second problem is the mesh. The 10 foot dish has the mesh intact, though about getting reflective paint and seeing how that turns out. Hope to get enough heat to boil water. Melting lead alloys would be much better, but a little optimistic. The mesh on the 12 foot dish was held on by cable ties, between weathering and my cat, most eventually broke, so its just a frame now.
I saved some (about 500 square feet) of mylar/bubble wrap type shipping insulation. They throw this stuff away almost daily at work, seemed like useful stuff...
Haven't messed with it in a while, but got the itch again. My first experiments weren't exactly ideal. I didn't have a decent temperature probe, and it was slightly overcast and windy. I simply taped the mylar wrap to the 10 foot dish and layed out in the yard, basically pointing toward the sun. Definately focused the sun, big difference in temperature standing near it. I measured around 170 degrees near where the reciever/detector was mounted (guessing focus). Wind kept pulling the wrap off the dish, haven't figured a more perment way to anchor it yet.
Anyway, a little constructive feedback. I'd like to boil water at the very least. Useful for coffee, distillation, steam power...
Higher temperatures 460-470 dgrees F would be good for melting pewter (unreleated hobby)...