Parabola design (1 Viewer)

OK, another question, or two.

If you were designing your own parabola (to make a parobolic mic), what diameter and what focal length would you choose ?
And what microphone would you choose for it ? and mono or stereo ?

I'm not rich enough for a Telinga so it's back to basics for me.

Cheers,
Alec

the diameter is as large as possible You have to make the call depending on the weight of the material and whether you will be packing it through undergrowth in the field. Or taking it on an airline, in which case regulations may limit the width.

50cm about 18" is about the smallest diameter else you will lose low frequencies and directionality. The Telinga is 60cm. More than that can start to get heavy

The focal length should be such that the focus is just within the lip of the dish. IE if you place the dish face down on a flat surface the focus would be between the surface and the back of the dish. This improves your resistance to wind noise no end. This is a tradeoff against how much of parabola section you have. If you can't manage this you will still get a useful mic, just a lot more sensitive to wind.

Stereo. because we have two ears The stereo image from a parabolic dish is pretty screwy, whatever Telinga may say, but it still helps keep things apart IMO