To save anyone else a Google search https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luneburg_lens
nice explanation of a luneberg lens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo38PeJtRT8
Show HN: Open-Source Software for Designing 3D-Printable Luneburg Lenses for RF
11–20 of 38 posts
Re: Show HN: Open-Source Software for Designing 3D-Printable Luneburg Lenses for RF
#12Very interesting! It would be even more appealing if you could show a test case where a high level metric (e.g., wifi download speed) improves with one of your lenses compared to a baseline scenario without lense. Also, I expect the dielectric properties of the printing material will affect the design. Which printing material have you tested exactly? Do you know how much the performance changes when cheaper alternati…
Hi frazar0, We're excited to receive some Radix resin from Rogers Corporation, which is the current standard for developing RF lenses due to its low dielectric permittivity and low loss tangent coefficient. We also have a few simulated lenses in CST Studio that we will share with you as soon as possible.
If you don't mind me asking, how much does the resin cost ? Couldn't find cost info on their website.
Re: Show HN: Open-Source Software for Designing 3D-Printable Luneburg Lenses for RF
#13Earlier quoted context omitted.
Hi frazar0, We're excited to receive some Radix resin from Rogers Corporation, which is the current standard for developing RF lenses due to its low dielectric permittivity and low loss tangent coefficient. We also have a few simulated lenses in CST Studio that we will share with you as soon as possible.
If you don't mind me asking, how much does the resin cost ? Couldn't find cost info on their website.
2000 USD is the cost of the 1 liter bottle
Re: Show HN: Open-Source Software for Designing 3D-Printable Luneburg Lenses for RF
#14None of the parameters have units. Is this meters, feet, inches, wavelength? I'm sure you've done a lot of work, but it's not impedance matched to the user. How many wavelengths diameter are required for this to work? For example, how big would a lens have to be to work at 902-928 Mhz for LoraWAN?
Hi mikewarot, As a general rule, Luneburg lenses need to have a diameter at least equal to the wavelength of the frequency they are designed to operate with. Because of this, Luneburg lenses are more cost-effective at higher frequencies, making them particularly suitable for applications in the GHz range. It is possible to develop a Luneburg lens for LoRaWAN, and I am currently working on a DRC check for various wave…
Ah, so my dream of a compact beam for the 1.8MHz band still eludes me... :)
Re: Show HN: Open-Source Software for Designing 3D-Printable Luneburg Lenses for RF
#15As an antenna engineer myself, I'm always very glad to see tools and open source that make RF/microwave more accessible as a hobby!
That said, it'd be really great if this could simply be hosted/accessed online. The intersection of RF engineer/hobbyist and knowing how to work with Docker is slim (anywhere other than HN), which detracts from the "user friendly interface".
Re: Show HN: Open-Source Software for Designing 3D-Printable Luneburg Lenses for RF
#16Nice work! I look forward to following your development. As a radio amateur I was looking at a Luneburg lens for a 10GHz point to point link, with luck this will let me play around with that idea. Is there a discord server or forum where folks are discussing applications?
Re: Show HN: Open-Source Software for Designing 3D-Printable Luneburg Lenses for RF
#17[deleted]
Re: Show HN: Open-Source Software for Designing 3D-Printable Luneburg Lenses for RF
#18Could this be used to make the wifi in my home do right angles and avoid walls? how big would it have to be?
Re: Show HN: Open-Source Software for Designing 3D-Printable Luneburg Lenses for RF
#19As an antenna engineer myself, I'm always very glad to see tools and open source that make RF/microwave more accessible as a hobby! That said, it'd be really great if this could simply be hosted/accessed online. The intersection of RF engineer/hobbyist and knowing how to work with Docker is slim (anywhere other than HN), which detracts from the "user friendly interface".
Hi mNovak!
You are 100% right on that. Im working on deploying a free version to access it online so people can check it out.
Also im working on making a step by step guide so people can install it with docker and looking to other alternative ways to installing it locally
Re: Show HN: Open-Source Software for Designing 3D-Printable Luneburg Lenses for RF
#20[deleted]