Turn a satellite dish into a parabolic dish

[exxcomm0n]

Since there is a BUD (big ugly dish about 4 feet or 1 meter) satellite TV dish in the backyard doing nothing due to burnt out positioning motor and the advent of DTV (which doesn't need to move to access multiple satellites) making it redundant, I've thought about converting it to a solar power device for heating or electrical generation using either solar cell or peizo <sp?> electric (as that could perhaps generate more electricity in winter months due to extreme temperature differential of focused solar on one side and atmospheric cold on the other?).

The first thing to fly into my head about the positioning would be to make electric motor driven coarse screws actuating geared arms shielded from the elements and use that for dish positioning (E/W and up/down) controlled by a clock/calendar/microprocessor with a map of the suns azimuth and position in reference to the longitude and latitude of the dish location.
Using that, sun tracking would be a "set and forget" situation that tracks irregardless of other factors and keep the focus of the sun consistently at optimal positioning 24/7/365.

I'm thinking of using mylar reflective material too, but need to come up with an answer for wind.
A meter diameter circle still makes a pretty good "sail" that could allow strong winds to damage the positioning mechanism.

But I have a few questions I'd like to pose to better help me make a decision on how to implement this.
In the case of using a solar cell:

How much solar IR can a solar cell stand before it burns up?

Are there reflective materials that could pass the IR harmlessly while reflecting the more electrical producing higher wavelengths to the solar cell?

Is there a combination solar/piezo cell being built to anyones knowledge so that all wavelengths could be equally captured and used at the same time by one cell?

Thanks for starting the thread infringer and very nice build kampen!

[hydrocontrol]

Check out this site for circuits and assemblies to do just what you are wanting to do for solar tracking.
http://www.redrok.com/electron.htm#led3x

EDIT PS. I just seen this was listed in a above post but I can not delete my post.. Sorry for the duplicate information.

[hydrocontrol]

You may also want to check out this thread about using a Peltier junction array to generate power instead of a solar panel. Possibly cheaper.. I provided links in that thread for mylar film and other things.

http://www.overunity.com/index.php?topic=5536.msg125996#msg125996

[ramset]

Kampen Your heat exchanger is beautiful !!! its a shame to cover it up. You have inspired me to build also
@ Hydro Thanks for the links
PS I have  read these parabolic dishes can generate 1000 C or more
         Chet

[infringer]

Peltier junction is an interesting thing should be researched...

As for using solar cells for concentrated solar it is a reqirement to also cool the cell with a coolant of some sort.

Either way it will take little money to make these dishes possible the hardest portion will be keeping the weathering from ruining them and the expense of conversion and energy storage.

Glad to see the dish its really interesting I am interested in seeing the tracking portion when you are finished.

Thank you for taking the time to share with us.

-infringer-