Our major business is the resale of used satellite antennas. Often these antenna’s are upward of ten years old, and so the customer often wonders if he is getting a usable antenna, or a pile of corrosion. By their very nature these antennas have withstood the worst that the climate can throw at them and sometimes when we buy them, they are in a sorry state.

Our goal is to take a used antenna and transform it so that it looks like new, but more importantly it performs as good as new. When we re-install on of our antennas, we guarantee that it will pass two degree and isolation tests. We can seldom get a theodolited antenna exactly to factory transmit and receive gain specifications, but we shoot for half a dB of factory specs. Considering the huge dollar savings that a used antenna represents compared with the new factory cost.

When we refurbish a full antenna, including king post or support we have a detailed process leading to the finished product.

If the antenna is sold within the US we normally contract to re-install it, but in cases where the antenna is being sold overseas we take a few extra steps of photographing the existing antenna prior to take down so that we can email photographs and video to the  installation team.

Take Down

1.     Antenna is photographed in place, with attention to the location and attachment of radials and panels

2.     Disassembly begins, with each stage photographed, or in some cases video is shot.

3.     Panels, radials and supports are grouped together and secured before loading onto our flatbed.

4.     Antenna bushings are examined and discarded if excessive wear is found.

Inspection

1.     All moving hardware is examined for excessive wear with replacement parts ordered if necessary

2.     Motors are sent for electrical testing and if necessary they are refurbished.

3.     Damaged or missing assembly hardware is examined and replaced if needed.

4.     Jack screw boots are replaced if needed

Refurbishing

1.     Rusted areas are sanded and stripped

2.     Antenna is pressure washed

3.     The antenna is sprayed with coats of primer

4.     The final coats of acrylic paint are applied to the antenna

5.     Rusted galvanized parts are sent for re-galvanizing

Packing for Shipment

1.     Where appropriate the foundation bolt kit is ordered and shipped separately to the client

2.     The completed antenna is loaded into the clients shipping container

3.     Racks or supports are built within the shipping container to ensure damage free transportation

4.     The loading process is photographed and all parts identified

Installation

1.     When the new pad is ready to receive the antenna the container is set down at the new site

2.     The foundation bolts on the pad are examined and measured for accurate placement

3.     The king post or antenna support structure is unloaded and made ready for installation with the crane

4.     The panels, radials and supports are unloaded and the reflector is built on the ground

5.     When needed the radials are aligned with a theodolite

6.     A rented crane is delivered to the site and the king post and completed reflector are installed.

7.     Using a theodolite the reflector is shot to manufacturers specifications

8.     Where appropriate the sub-reflector is placed on the antenna.

9.     Cables are pulled for the SSPA and LNA and Antenna Controller package

Testing and Certification

1.     Electrical connections are completed and the antenna controller and full range of motion is verified.

2.     Motors are tested for low speed and high speed operation.

3.     Satellite patterns are run and verification received from the operator’s NOC.

4.     We guarantee that the transmit gain will be  to within 1dB of original factory specification.

5.     Demonstration that the antenna controller system is working correctly.

6.    The antenna will pass two degree compliancy requirements.

This effort is not accomplished overnight, and depending upon our workload a typical refurbishing and installation process will take between six and twelve weeks from the placement of the order.