Last edited: 27 April 2023
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Satellite dishes are designed to concentrate waves onto a focal point. They need to repositioned frequently when solar cooking, as the sun is a moving target. They were created to point at a stationary satellite.
- Note: Those who are interested in replicating this style of solar cooker need to be warned that while the cooker can achieve quite high temperatures, the satellite dish is not being used for its intended purpose. It was designed with a fairly 'flat' parabolic dish shape, creating a high focus location. If standing alongside while solar cooking, this can be about eye level. Direct exposure of the focal point to a person's eye can cause extreme damage. Commercially available parabolic solar cookers typically have a deeper parabolic dish shape, placing the focal point closer to the mirrored surface, and away from the cooks eyes. Users should always use eye protection when using parabolic style cookers.
- No welding necessary
- Satellite Dish from Ebay for 60,- € (120cm diameter)
- Mirror foil for 9,-€
- Simply mounted upside down on a old swivel chair
What do i need to build one?[]
- A Satellite dish with a diameter of 120cm. This equals 1,13m² of collecting surface. So we receive over 1000W of sun energy
- A reflective foil or a reflective tape or simply aluminum foil + glue
- An old swivel chair or simply the foot of a fan
- A tripod or something else that is holding the pot
- A pot which is sprayed in black
How do i build it?[]
Paste foil on the dish[]
- Carefully sand the dish. This was necessary because the surface was so rough that the reflective foil didn't adhere.
- Cut the foil into 10cm wide strips
Mount the dish on its frame[]
Satellite dishes are made for
- perfectly concentrating light into one point
- once mounted and adjusted easily
You simply take the dish and mount it upside down on the old swivel chair. By drilling one hole and adding one screw everything will be fixed. (Pictures will be added later)
The result[]
- boils 1L of water within < 10min
- makes a big piece of wood burn within 4 sek
- even melts aluminum (!)
- is perfect for cooking with a pan