Pacific Monolithics
Sunnyvale, California
Integrated Down Converter
US Patent 5,015,968 (Feedback cascode amplifier)

According to their web site Pacific Monolithics www.pacmono.com are no longer in the antenna game having sold the antenna division to Pacific Wireless www.pacwireless.com . Pacific Wireless have an antenna model PMANT 15 with a 15dB gain parabolic grid reflector that conforms in dimension and appearance to the antenna in question. However the Pacific Wireless antennas have N connectors and no down converter. My antenna has an F connector and down converter.

The aluminium square tube carries a placard claiming protection for the device under the following U.S. patents:

5,015,968 (Feedback cascode amplifier)
5,280,412 (Thermal/electrical feedthrough seal)
5,317,291 (Microstrip filter with reduced ground plane)

(They must have had inspriring physics teachers). The Pacific Monolithics Down Converter part number is: PM3151-1951 and is made in China.

Questions... Can I make use of this antenna for 2.4GHz wireless LAN networking on the Melbourne: Digital and Wireless melbourne.wireless.org.au network ?

Would I be better off opening up the cover over the dipole and hooking up some coax as shown on this groovy web page ?

The Pacific Monolithics patent referred to above suggests there might be some fancy amplifier inside - perhaps I should see if I can separate that from the down converter for added gain?

What signal was being down-converted anyway - terrestrial Pay TV (in Melbourne)? What frequency was the input?

And what frequency was the down-converted output ?

Could it be used in it's current state for anything useful such as receiving live in flight video from a model rocket microwave video transmitter ?

If you have any ideas please email me: