The OE-82C is still current military hardware. There is no chance
that we will "find" a real OE-82C. Further, The OE-82C is designed
to transmit around 305 MHz, and receive around 260 MHz. There are
no amateur bands in these ranges.
This project proposal calls for replacing the OE-82C/WSC-1 satellite communications antennas removed from the Battleship's superstructure with look-alikes. The look-alikes will vary from a simple mock-up to a fully functional amateur radio satellite antenna capable of tranceive operation with AMSAT/OSCAR-40.
Why Create Look-Alikes?
The OE-82C is still current military hardware. There is no chance
that we will "find" a real OE-82C. Further, The OE-82C is designed
to transmit around 305 MHz, and receive around 260 MHz. There are
no amateur bands in these ranges.
The amateur "ham" radio station is being designed to use the antennas systems of BB-62. The HF bands (1.8 - 29.7 MHz) are well covered by other antennas. Omnidirectional vertical antennas provide signals on 6 and 2 Meter FM, and on 440 MHz FM. The most popular communications modes which are not represented already on BB-62 are VHF Single Sideband and CW (Morse Code), and perhaps 10 Meter SSB/CW. These use horizontally polarized antennas, usually with gain. A further mode, amateur satellite communication, requires antennas that can be raised in addition to rotated. Circular polarization is needed for these modes, and antenna-mounted preamplifiers are common.
The locations for the OE-82C's on the battleship are excellent for VHF use. They are high in the superstructure, 9 and 12 stories above the deck. The upper one is just below and foreward of the yardarm level. The other is just aft of the aft smokestack. The lower, aft location has excellent coverage of ham radio satellite AO-40's equatorial orbit. The foreward location, 12 stories up, is excellent for VHF work, and the angles blocked-- pointing roughly toward Cape May, NJ, are relatively unimportant for DX communication.
OE-82T -- This will be a collection of terestrial VHF antennas for SSB/CW work on 2 meters, 432 MHz and possibly 6 Meters and 10 Meters. It will appear as an OE-82C pointing toward the zenith, and will have one axis of rotation. Antenna design is needed for this phase of the project.
OE-82S -- This will house antennas for 435 MHz and 2.4 GHz, as well as a receiving converter for 2.4GHz and frequency diplexor. It will have one axis of rotation with a cam system to track AO-40's equatorial orbit. Significant antenna design is needed for these antennas.
An odd bit of information (Search for OE-82):
http://www.sgsaweb.com/comms/sop.html
Ehrenspeck's patent on the short backfire antenna:
Here