Problems with re-using Ka/Ku band dishes for 5-6 GHz (C-band)?

[blueandwhiteg3]

I have a number of Ka and Ku band dishes I'd like to consider re-using in the 5.2 to 5.9 GHz range for point to point links. I would replace the feed with a centered feed of some type, for a more traditional parabolic approach, rather than the offset approach.

However, I observe the dishes are not truly parabolic, but more of an oval ellipse. I also notice the dish depth varies slightly.

I have this Ku-band 1-meter dish:

http://www.fortecstar.com/estore/storefront/default.asp?ProductID=27&CategoryID=8

I have a 508 x 660 mm WildBlue Ka-band dish. I don't have any good specifications, but they are quite common dishes. I also have a variety of smaller DBS dishes in the 45-55 cm range, but gain tends to be a bit too low (based on theory at least) at those sizes.

Can anybody comment on the issues around doing this for use around 5.2 to 5.9 GHz? What effect does the oval form have on dish effectiveness? Does the depth of the dish matter for these kinds of frequencies?

 

[Comcokid]

I would guess that since you want to do point-to-point, if the pattern of the dishes is not ideal due to the curvature, it should not be a problem as you will be aiming for max signal strength anyway.

Amateur experimenters frequently make dishes out of large salad bowls, or metal dish-type sleds. The best of these only have an approximate parabolic shape. But amateurs get good results anyway.

 

[blueandwhiteg3]

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I am aware of the broad issues where the beam focus might not be perfect, etc. and that's OK. I am also aware of hacky uses of reflectors and I'm sure it would more or less work.

My bigger concern is to determine the peak gain I might be able to achieve, specifically the degree of loss versus a more 'proper' parabolic dish.