Question about a keostationary network satellite's antenna(s)

[Just Jim]

Hi everyone, I have a question I hope someone might know.
I have a contract to set up a keostationary network around Kerbin.
OK, I've never done this before, but I understand where and how to position the new satellite, this isn't the problem.

My question is about building a new satellite(s) for the network. For cosmetic reasons, the satellite I already have in Keostationary orbit has 4 antenna... antenni??? But if I build a new satellite, which is what I'm planning, should it have more than 1 antenna? A satellite network means they're in communication with each other, but I'm not sure if this means anything as far as the game is concerned or not. Should I have more than one and pointed in different directions?

I have the funds at this point to blow a little and make something big and fun, like a communication array kind of thing. But I'm really curious, would it make a difference? Would something big with maybe 2 or 3 big gold antenna dishes be better than something small and efficiant and cheap, but only one antenna?

[Goody1981]

I think, unless you are playing with the Remote Tech mod, that you can put as many or as few antennae as you like on it. Obviously if you want to be transmitting science, you need at least one (not that these sats are likely to be collecting that much science).

But yeah, if you're roleplaying accuracy then you def want multiple antennae on each comsat - go big!

[Alshain]

Even if you are playing Remote Tech you can put as many of few on it as you like. For RT communication purposes you only need a Communotron 32 on 3 of them, and a fourth one opposite the planet from KSC should have 2 DTS-M1 aimed at the Mun and Minmus and a C32. (For Starters, eventually you will need more for interplanetary).

The KSC tracking station can reach to Minmus by itself so you only need 1 satellite to reach when it isn't in view, the rest will relay the signal around the planet with C32's.

When you do decide to go interplanetary, you just replace or add to that 4th one and then put a Ground Station out near KSC. (i.e. a Rover with Antenna to reach interplanetary). Alternatively you could just set up several ground stations around the planet by flying them there with planes or rockets. Then you need nothing but C32's on your synchronous satellites. However, I like to have one that is visible most of the time that I can reassign out of cone mode for ships that are still en route to a planet, so I prefer the one multipurpose satellite in synchronous orbit behind KSC. Edited November 26, 2015 by Alshain

[ineon]

[quote name='Just Jim']4 antenna... antenni??? [/QUOTE]

Antenna is the plural, antennum is the singular*

[quote name='Goody1981']I think, unless you are playing with the Remote Tech mod...[/QUOTE]

Even without Remote Tech Mod, similar functionality will be brought in (non-mandatory) for version 1.1. If you want to play with this then you might want to consider playing as if you did have remote tech now.

[I][SIZE=1]*Not actually true.[/SIZE][/I]

[Stone Blue]

Alshain nailed it, although, I think he may have missed a detail... For keosync orbit, you will want at LEAST 4 sats like he describes...And that is if you are really good at spacing them properly... 5 would be better... Reason is that, at keosync, 3 sats will have a distance of 6Mm...Well outside their 5Mm range... 4 sats, spaced 90° apart, will be 4.905Mm part... Thus not leaving much room for error if you cant get really tight, precise orbits...So 5 sats would be better...Distance between them would be 4.077Mm, giving much more room for spacing error...

But Alshain's setup is a REALLY good one... You can use only 3 sats for everyhwere in LKO, from 700km, up to 2000km... And even up 2250km orbit, if you're good at spacing them...

Even if you DO NOT have RemoteTech, and want to design networks that work with the stock antennas, this website may help:

[url]https://ryohpops.github.io/kspRemoteTechPlanner/#/planner[/url]

EDIT: Ahahaha....LOL...Turns out I am the one who has reading comprehension issues... I just re-read Alshains post, and he DOES say you need a 4th sat opposite KSC...So I guess I at least offered an explanation of why you need 3, 4, or more of the same sats, at different orbits... Edited November 26, 2015 by Stone Blue

[Just Jim]

[quote name='Alshain']Even if you are playing Remote Tech you can put as many of few on it as you like. For RT communication purposes you only need a Communotron 32 on 3 of them, and a fourth one opposite the planet from KSC should have 2 DTS-M1 aimed at the Mun and Minmus and a C32. (For Starters, eventually you will need more for interplanetary).

The KSC tracking station can reach to Minmus by itself so you only need 1 satellite to reach when it isn't in view, the rest will relay the signal around the planet with C32's.

When you do decide to go interplanetary, you just replace or add to that 4th one and then put a Ground Station out near KSC. (i.e. a Rover with Antenna to reach interplanetary). Alternatively you could just set up several ground stations around the planet by flying them there with planes or rockets. Then you need nothing but C32's on your synchronous satellites. However, I like to have one that is visible most of the time that I can reassign out of cone mode for ships that are still en route to a planet, so I prefer the one multipurpose satellite in synchronous orbit behind KSC.[/QUOTE]

Oh, awesome!!! Thank you.
Not using remote tech, but I'm going to play this like I had it installed.


As far as where I'm positioning them, right now I'm going by the contract requirements. They're giving me not only the orbit, but also the ground position I need to be LOS with. This 2nd contract looks to be I'm guessing maybe 80-90 degrees from the first satellite, which is good. If I need to reposition later that's fine, they have plenty of fuel. But for now I'm going to do this one, then wait to see if and what the third satellite contract looks like.


I hadn't thought of using ground stations, but since reading your response I've dreamed up half a dozen ideas for making them. Scattering them around the planet will be easy, and something fun and a little different.


Thanks!

[Alshain]

[quote name='Stone Blue']Alshain nailed it, although, I think he may have missed a detail... For keosync orbit, you will want at LEAST 4 sats like he describes...And that is if you are really good at spacing them properly... 5 would be better... Reason is that, at keosync, 3 sats will have a distance of 6Mm...Well outside their 5Mm range... 4 sats, spaced 90° apart, will be 4.905Mm part... Thus not leaving much room for error if you cant get really tight, precise orbits...So 5 sats would be better...Distance between them would be 4.077Mm, giving much more room for spacing error...

But Alshain's setup is a REALLY good one... You can use only 3 sats for everyhwere in LKO, from 700km, up to 2000km... And even up 2250km orbit, if you're good at spacing them...

Even if you DO NOT have RemoteTech, and want to design networks that work with the stock antennas, this website may help:

[URL]https://ryohpops.github.io/kspRemoteTechPlanner/#/planner[/URL]

EDIT: Ahahaha....LOL...Turns out I am the one who has reading comprehension issues... I just re-read Alshains post, and he DOES say you need a 4th sat opposite KSC...So I guess I at least offered an explanation of why you need 3, 4, or more of the same sats, at different orbits...[/QUOTE]

Well, misreading asside, you are still correct even with my setup. I am really good at positioning satellites so I tend to forget, but at Synchronous with C32's and only 4 satellites you are just barely in range of your neighboring satellites. 5 would certainly allow a little more wiggle room.

[spoiler=Planning]
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/AxIuV76.png[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/2BPsEPn.png[/IMG]
[/spoiler] Edited November 26, 2015 by Alshain

[Goody1981]

[quote name='ineon']Antenna is the plural, antennum is the singular*

[I][SIZE=1]*Not actually true.[/SIZE][/I][/QUOTE]

I know you addressed this with your asterisk, but it could be confusing for some :)

1 antenna, 17 antennae (although antennas is acceptable, it doesn't sound as cool to say)

[Just Jim]

OK, the forum is back.  Just a quick update, I got my 4th contract offer to build on the network last night.  And the ground position I need to be in LoS of is right where it needs to be so all 4 satellites will be roughly 90 degrees from each other.  I don't know if I'll get any more for Kerbin after this... we'll see.