Antennas

(This page revised by V.Altunin at Nov.20. 1997)

1. DSN Antennas Types and Locations 
2. Geodetic and Cartesian Coordinates
3. Horizon masks
4. Cable Wrap Limits and Slew Rates for Azimuth-Elevation DSN Antennas 

*Antenna Types, Geodetic and Cartesian coordinates, 
Cable Warp limits are from DSN document 
810-5, Rev.D; Vol.I/GEO-10, Rev.E; Slew rates from 
810-5, Rev.D; Vol I/TRK-10.Rev.D

1. DSN Antennas Types and Locations

Station

Identifiers

Diameter

Antenna

Type

Primary and

Secondary Axes

Axies Offset

(m)

(m)

Goldstone

13 34 BWG Az/El 0
14 70 Az/El 0
15 34 HEF Az/El 0
16 26 X/Y 6.706
17 9 X/Y 2.44
23 11 Tilt/Az/El 0.391
24 34 BWG Az/El 0
25 34 BWG Az/El 0
26 34 BWG Az/El 0
27 34 HSB Az/El 1.83
28 34 HSB Az/El 1.83

Canberra

33 11 Tilt/Az/El 0.391
34 34 BWG Az/El 0
43 70 Az/El 0
45 34 HEF Az/El 0
46 26 X/Y 6.706

Madrid

53 11 Tilt/Az/El 0.391
63 70 Az/El 0
65 34 HEF Az/El 0
66 26 X/Y 6.706

* Types of antennas:
BWG - beam waveguide, Coude focus 
HEF - high efficiency, Cassegrain focus 
HSB - high-speed beam waveguide


**DSS 13, 14, 15, 43, 45, 63, and 65 are most 
commonly used for radio astronomy.

2. Geodetic and Cartesian Coordinates

Geographical, also called astronomical, coordinates are used on maps. They are referred to the local vertical as defined by a plumb line or a bubble level and the equatorial plane.

Geodetic coordinates are referred to the perpendicular to the tangent to the ellipsoid approximating the geoid of the true earth. They differ from geographical coordinates because they are not affected by local variations in the earth's gravity field. The difference between geographical and geodetic coordinates can be as much as one arcminute.

Geocentric coordinates are referred to the center of the earth. Cartesian coordinates are also earth-centered. Geocentric angular coordinates are obtained from the rectangular coordinates with:

The geodetic and geocentric latitudes can differ by as much as 11 arcmin at mid-latitudes.
where and e2 = 1-b2/a2. In 1979 the International Astronomical Union defined the geoid as follows:
equatorial radius6,378,140 m
polar radius6,356,755 m
Subsequently the World Geodetic System 1984 was defined as
equatorial radius6,378,137.0 m
polar radius6,356,752.3 m

Geodetic coordinates of DSN antennas
in the ITRF93 reference system 

         latitude             longitude            heigth
         deg min sec         deg  min sec           (m)

DSS 13   35  14  49.79342    243  12  19.95493    1071.178
DSS 14   35  25  33.24518    243   6  37.66967    1002.114
DSS 15   35  25  18.67390    243   6  46.10495    0973.945
DSS 16   35  20  29.54391    243   7  34.86823    0944.711
DSS 17   35  20  31.83778    243   7  35.38803    0937.650
DSS 23   35  20  22.38335    243   7  37.70043    0946.086
DSS 24   35  20  23.61555    243   7  30.74842    0952.156
DSS 25   35  20  15.40450    243   7  28.69836    0960.862
DSS 26   35  20  08.48213    243   7  37.14557    0970.159
DSS 27   35  14  17.78052    243  13  24.06569    1053.203
DSS 28   35  14  17.78136    243  13  15.99911    1065.382
DSS 33  -35  24  01.76138    148  58  59.12204    0684.839
DSS 34  -35  23  54.53995    148  58  55.06320    0691.750
DSS 43  -35  24   8.74388    148  58  52.55394    0689.608
DSS 45  -35  23  54.46400    148  58  39.65992    0675.086
DSS 46  -35  24  18.05462    148  58  59.08571    0677.551
Parkes  -32  59  54.25297    148  15  48.64683    0415.529
DSS 53   40  25  38.48036    355  45  01.24307    0827.501
DSS 54   40  25  32.23201    355  44  45.24283    0837.696
DSS 63   40  25  52.34908    355  45   7.16030    0865.544
DSS 65   40  25  37.86055    355  44  54.88622    0834.539
DSS 66   40  25  47.90367    355  44  54.88739    0850.582
Cartesian coordinates of DSN antennas in the ITRF93 reference system 
                                                     1-sigma uncertainty
Antenna     x(m)          y(m)         z(m)          horiz(m)   vert(m)

DSS 13  -2351112.491  -4655530.714  +3660912.787      0.04        0.05
DSS 14  -2353621.251  -4641341.542  +3677052.370      0.03        0.03
DSS 15  -2353538.790  -4641649.507  +3676670.043      0.03        0.03
DSS 16  -2354763.158  -4646787.462  +3669387.069      0.05        0.10
DSS 17  -2354730.357  -4646751.776  +3669440.659      0.05        0.10
DSS 23  -2354757.567  -4646934.675  +3669207.824      0.05        0.10
DSS 24  -2354906.495  -4646840.128  +3669242.317      0.05        0.10
DSS 25  -2355022.066  -4646953.636  +3669040.895      0.05        0.10
DSS 26  -2354890.967  -4647166.925  +3668872.212      0.05        0.10
DSS 27  -2349915.260  -4656756.484  +3660096.529      0.05        0.10
DSS 28  -2350101.849  -4656673.447  +3660103.577      0.05        0.10
DSS 33  -4461083.514  +2682281.745  -3674570.392      0.03        0.10
DSS 34  -4461146.756  +2682439.293  -3674393.542      0.05        0.10
DSS 43  -4460894.585  +2682361.554  -3674748.580      0.03        0.03
DSS 45  -4460935.250  +2682765.710  -3674381.402      0.03        0.03
DSS 46  -4460828.619  +2682129.556  -3674975.508      0.04        0.04
Parkes  -4554231.843  +2816758.983  -3454036.065      0.04        0.05
DSS 53  +4849330.129  -0360338.092  +4114758.766      0.05        0.10
DSS 54  +4849434.555  -0360724.108  +4114618.643      0.05        0.10
DSS 63  +4849092.647  -0360180.569  +4115109.113      0.03        0.03
DSS 65  +4849336.730  -0360488.859  +4114748.775      0.03        0.03
DSS 66  +4849148.543  -0360474.842  +4114995.021      0.05        0.10

3. Horizon masks

Horizon masks for Madrid DSCC DSS-63 and DSS-65 are provided in tabular form.

DSS63 Horizon Masking

AZ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
0 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
10 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
20 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
30 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
40 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
50 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
60 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
70 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
80 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
90 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
100 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
110 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
120 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
130 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
140 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
150 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
160 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
170 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
180 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
190 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
200 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
210 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
220 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
230 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
240 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
250 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
260 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
270 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
280 6 6 6 6 6 6 6.01 6.155 6.28 6.392
290 6.495 6.596 6.7 6.813 6.941 7.088 7.262 7.467 7.708 7.993
300 8.326 8.713 9.159 9.671 10.253 1.144 11.883 12.517 13.051 13.49
310 13.837 14.096 14.272 14.37 14.393 4.346 14.233 14.059 13.827 13.542
320 13.083 12.693 12.37 12.11 11.908 1.757 11.654 11.593 11.568 11.574
330 11.607 11.661 11.731 11.812 11.898 1.984 12.065 12.136 12.192 12.228
340 12.238 12.217 12.16 12.061 11.890 1.672 11.382 11.018 10.582 10.074
350 9.406 8.829 8.343 7.947 7.642 7.455 7.255 7.041 6.814 6.573

DSS65 Horizon Masking

AZ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
0 6.612 6.205 6.58 6.666 6.448 6.874 6.961 6.463 6.176 6
10 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
20 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
30 6 6 6 7.43 7.691 7.686 6.623 6 6 6
40 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6.652
50 6.703 6.134 6.292 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
60 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
70 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
80 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
90 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
100 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
110 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
120 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
130 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
140 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
150 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
160 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
170 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
180 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
190 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
200 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
210 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
220 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
230 6.031 6.159 6.206 6.185 6.109 5.993 6.172 6.337 6.457 6.502
240 6.339 6.244 6.205 6.211 6.25 6.309 6.378 6.444 6.58 6.745
250 6.943 7.262 7.355 7.333 7.408 7.579 7.784 7.873 7.842 7.69
260 7.418 7.295 7.156 7.027 6.94 6.93 6.943 6.899 6.788 6.9
270 6.936 7.216 7.448 7.633 7.76 7.818 7.715 7.699 7.711 7.706
280 7.636 7.455 7.466 7.461 7.428 7.37 7.533 7.075 7.01 6.954
290 6.91 6.878 6.873 6.909 6.997 7.124 7.174 7.262 7.382 7.549
300 7.357 7.103 6.864 6.655 6.474 6.315 6.174 6.045 6 6
310 6 6.255 6.625 6.186 7.095 7.332 7.594 7.883 7.799 7.685
320 7.764 8.015 8.326 8.77 8.73 8.772 8.745 8.801 8.888 9.008
330 9.251 9.534 9.856 10.216 11.271 2.087 12.742 13.28 13.746 13.627
340 13.419 13.162 12.857 12.504 12.382 1.949 11.385 11.317 11.22 11.085
350 10.552 10.986 10.816 10.112 9.878 9.304 8.841 8.487 7.85 7.224

4. Approximate Cable Wrap Limits and Slew Rates for Azimuth-Elevation DSN Antennas

Antenna

Azimuth Position (deg)

 Slew rate
Name(s) Description

Center

of Wrap

CW

Limit

CCW

Limit

deg/s

DSS 14, 63 70-m 45 310 140 0.25
DSS 43 70-m 135 40 230 0.25
DSS 15, 65 34-m HEF 135 360 270 0.8
DSS 45 34-m HEF 45 270 180 0.8
DSS 24, 25, 26, 54, 65 34-m BWG 135 360 270 0.8
DSS 34 34-m BWG 45 270 180 0.8
DSS 27 34-m HSB 135 360 270 N/A
DSS 23, 33, 53 11-m 0 380 (-) 380 N/A