ESP8266 Parabolic Reflector

I've aluminized the dish, mounted it to a tripod, and tested it out. Pics:

I've also written a post on this for Hackaday. You can check that out here.

The center mount has a single 'stovepipe' that allows me to attach a pole for the feedhorn. This is the other end.

It's designed to hold an ESP-01 module so that the antenna is directly in the center of the dish.

$fn = 64;

module esp8266(){
    
 union(){   
     translate([0,-4,-2])   
     cube([14.7,25,11], center=true);   
     
     translate([0,-12.5,6])   
     cube([12,8,12], center=true);
 }   
}

module pole(){
 
 translate([27, 0, -21])   
 cylinder(d=6.40, h=30);   
    
}

module holder(){
   difference(){ 
        hull(){
            translate([32,0,0])
            cylinder(d=4, h=10);
                
            translate([32,5,0])
            cylinder(d=4, h=10);   
               
            translate([32,-5,0])
            cylinder(d=4, h=10);  
            
            translate([10,10,0])
            cylinder(d=4, h=5);
            
            translate([-10,10,0])
            cylinder(d=4, h=5);
            
            translate([-10,-20,0])
            cylinder(d=4, h=5);
            
            translate([10,-20,0])
            cylinder(d=4, h=5);     
        }
        
        esp8266();
        pole();
        
    }
}


holder();

Meant to hold a 1/4" dowel for the extnetion.

Hexagon code from Chris Bate

Uses 1/4-20 flange mount insert on the back, designed for camera tripod

//
//  Center mount for 3D printed parabolic antenna
//  hackaday.io/project/18866
//  Brian Benchoff
//
//  uses hexagon code from Chris Bate:
//  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAKEk1falNg
//
$fn = 64;


module phex(wid,rad,height){
hull(){
        translate([wid/2-rad,0,0])cylinder(r=rad,h=height);
        rotate([0,0,60])translate([wid/2-rad,0,0])cylinder(r=rad,h=height);
        rotate([0,0,120])translate([wid/2-rad,0,0])cylinder(r=rad,h=height);
        rotate([0,0,180])translate([wid/2-rad,0,0])cylinder(r=rad,h=height);
        rotate([0,0,240])translate([wid/2-rad,0,0])cylinder(r=rad,h=height);
        rotate([0,0,300])translate([wid/2-rad,0,0])cylinder(r=rad,h=height);
    }
}
module plug(){
    difference(){
    cylinder(d=12,h=30);
    translate([0,0,-1])
            cylinder(d=6.40,h=25);
    }
}


module metaAdapter(){
    union(){
        translate([0,0,10]){
            difference(){
            phex(68,0.1,20);
                translate([0,0,21])
                    phex(64,0.1,19);
                
                translate([0,0,1])
                    cylinder(d=8,h=20);
                
                translate([0,0,18.5])
                    cylinder(d=20,h=5);
                
                translate([0,15,1])
                    cylinder(d=4,h=25);
            }
        }
        intersection(){
            


            translate([0,0,-10])
            phex(80,0.1,20);


            
            translate([0,0,50])
               sphere(d=120);
       }
       
       translate([27,0,-20])
        plug();
    }
    
}




module adapter(){
    difference(){
        metaAdapter();
        
        translate([20,13,-15])
        cylinder(d=10, h=50);
        
        translate([20,13,22])
            rotate([-90,0,-60])
                cylinder(d=10,h=10);
        
        translate([27,0,-20])
            cylinder(d=6.4,h=40);       
    }
}


adapter();

The dish is printed. only thing left to do is add the center mount, metalize the dish, and place the feedhorn.

The diameter of the dish is 49mm, which means the depth of the dish is 6mm. We're dividing everything by two here (units are arbitrary), so the feed horn must be 25mm from the bottom of the dish. This means the feed horn must be 19mm above the 'points' of the dish.

Knitting needles and hot glue.

diameter 98, depth 12, Focal length 50. Units are arbitrary.

I scaled this 500% when 3D printing it, so the actual specs are:

490mm diameter, 60m depth, focal length 250.

What do we end up with?