RADIO2SPACE SPIDER 230C 2.3m COMPACT RADIO TELESCOPE

The SPIDER 230C is a compact 2.3 metre radio telescope that combines radio and amateur astronomy technologies, allowing you to discover the world of 1420 MHz radio astronomy with a professional, modular and easy to use system. Thanks to Prima Luce Lab's patented technology, the SPIDER 230C can be mounted on any equatorial mount which has a payload of 50Kg (mount sold separately) such as the 10 Micron GM2000 HPS or Sky-Watcher EQ8-R Pro.

The SPIDER 230C compact radio telescope uses the WEB230-5 mesh parabolic antenna, designed to offer a larger diameter with lower overall weight than traditional antennae. The 230C weighs much less than a normal 1.5 meter diameter full-surface model, offering better resolution capacity due to its greater diameter while maintaining a lower sensitivity to wind due to the perforated surface of the antenna. The reflecting surface of this antenna (the primary reflector) is composed of an aluminium mesh with 3×4 mm holes for optimum reflectivity of radio waves with frequencies up to 5 GHz.

SPIDER 230C main features

• SPIDER 230C 2.3 metre radio telescope which can be paired with an EQ mount for a compact but professional solution.
• WEB230-5 2.3 metre diameter prime focus antenna with specially designed front and rear supports, with 1420 MHz optimised feed and 2 LNAs for LHCP and RHCP circular polarisation.
• H142-One 1420 MHz radio receiver with 50 MHz instantaneous bandwidth radiometer and 1024 channel spectrometer to be installed in the control room in a standard 19" rack or on a table.
  
• RadioUniversePro control and acquisition software for Windows 10/11 designed to control all devices of the SPIDER radio telescope and collect radio astronomy data.
  
• Mount and tripod not included and must be purchased separately in order to use the telescope.
  

 Designed to be used with equatorial mounts

The SPIDER 230C is designed specifically to be used with standard equatorial mounts for optical telescopes, which offer high capacity and pointing/tracking precision at a lower cost than traditional radio telescope mounting systems. Any equatorial GOTO mount which has at least 50KG payload capacity and a Losmandy-style dovetail clamp can be utilized and controlled with the RadioUniversePro software through ASCOM (ASCOM 6 driver for the mount is required).

H-FEED 1420 MHz-optimized feedhorn

Developed specifically for SPIDER radio telescopes, the H-FEED feedhorn is designed for optimal illumination of the primary reflector, allowing for high gain while reducing side lobes and spillover effect in order to obtain the best possible performance from the 2.3m parabolic antenna. The feedhorn is designed to allow the reception of dual polarization with support for two professional Low Noise Amplifiers (LNA) at 1420 MHz. The feedhorn is positioned at the perfect point of focus of the antenna through a rigid structure with four supports to minimize obstruction, with a focusing device to precisely focus and maximize the performance of the entire radio telescope.

H142-One 1420 MHz receiver, radiometer and spectrometer

Developed in collaboration with the Bologna INAF Institute of Radio Astronomy specifically for SPIDER radio telescopes, the H142-One is a scientifically-certified and easy to use professional receiver featuring a 1420 MHz superheterodyne type radiometer/spectrometer, double conversion (type UP/DOWN) with 50 MHz received instantaneous bandwidth (RF=1.395MHz-1.445MHz) and 14-bit analog to digital converter.

The H142-One receiver has spectrometer with 1024 channels (61 KHz spectral resolution) that are displayed and processed in real time by the control software supplied with the radio telescope. Thanks to two dedicated IF outputs, performance of the H142-One radio astronomy receiver can be improved by adding the optional BKND-Pro professional backend making this the perfect instrument for educational and research institutions that want to create a radio astronomy program.

RadioUniversePro control, data capture and processing software

RadioUniversePro is the most advanced software ever developed for radio astronomy with compact telescopes, giving you complete control over the different components of the radio telescope with an immediate and straightforward interface. It allows you to control antenna position and acquisition parameters of the receiver, so you can easily record data coming from the sky and ignore artificial signal interferences and also transits or radio-images of radio sources you want to study.

RadioUniversePRO lets you save recorded data in graphical format as visualized on the user interface but you can also save raw data in FITS format compatible with NASA FITS Viewer, so you can quickly open and view their data and export them to process with other software.

Note: The SPIDER 230C is not weatherproof and cannot be installed in a field without protection. If you require this, then consider the 300A or 500A radio telescopes instead. Power and grounding systems are needed and must be supplied by the customer.

SPIDER Mark II radio telescopes -  much more than an antenna

The SPIDER Mark II radio telescope is the result of 10 years in research by PrimaLuceLab's engineering team that designs, develops, assembles and tests in-house all their radio telescopes. This way SPIDER Mark II radio telescopes provide unmatched performance by standard off-the-shelf antennas that are not designed for radio astronomy: better tracking and pointing precision, higher sensitivity, dedicated radio astronomy software, better engineering quality and great italian design!

Since they create SPIDER Mark II radio telescopes in their factory in Italy, you can take advantage of the direct relation with the real radio telescope manufacturer. Testar's pre-sale service can help you in everything you may need before your radio telescope order. Our post-sale support can provide you with updates for hardware and software products that we specifically develop for these radio telescopes. PrimaLuceLab's internal team of trained technicians is also able to install SPIDER Mark II at your location, all around the World!

Specifications

Accessories

 Optional accessories

• NSGEN noise generator for calibration: specifically designed for SPIDER radio telescopes, this allows RadioUniversePro to calculate flux in Jy of a radio source or sky area by compensating for atmospheric attenuation or any gain loss due to difference factors (such as antenna deformation because of its weight). The NSGen noise generator is installed on the SPIDER H-FEED and connects directly to the H142-One receiver.
• Radio-over-fiber kit for SPIDER: this allows you to have fiber optic cabling to connect the antenna to the H142-One receiver instead of the standard coaxial cables, removing the normal gain loss due to cable length and improving the performance of the system.
• BKND-Pro professional backend: combined with the H142-One receiver, the BKND-Pro allows you to sample the signal with higher spectral resolution than the integrated H142-One spectrometer, utilizing the most advanced professional technology for research and SETI applications with SPIDER telescopes.
• CMP-19 computer: a rack-mountable Windows 10 Pro computer with the same form factor as the other Radio2Space instruments.
• RK19 rack system: a professional 19" rack system to install all Radio2Space equipment, with 24 units and a power distribution unit (PDU) to power up to 8 devices and 4 fans with temperature sensors and remote on/off.