Channel Master/Laminas 1.8m project

[Channel Hopper]

Very lucky you thought of adding the chain .

 

[John]

>>-What make actuator was it?
An 8" Venture (there's a pattern developing here).. Will put a 12" one on.-<<
Have to agree CJ, size really matters

 

[scopus]

A weather warning out for here tomorrow night into Wednesday, gale force winds expected...
gusts of 75mph.

 

[archive10]

Going put a beefier actuator on there but needs some metalwork adjustments.

Well... to me it looks a bit like it's really a matter of putting a beefier hoop at the end of the actuator arm... looks like is can be removed and substituted with something else stronger??
I mean, if the actuator works fine, then why not repair the mechanical failure?
One could wonder, though, if some suitable counterweights might ease the load on the actuator?
Of course, against a really strong gust of wind this won't make a difference, but perhaps it might ease the strain...

 

[Channel Hopper]

Well... to me it looks a bit like it's really a matter of putting a beefier hoop at the end of the actuator arm... looks like is can be removed and substituted with something else stronger??
I mean, if the actuator works fine, then why not repair the mechanical failure?
One could wonder, though, if some suitable counterweights might ease the load on the actuator?
Of course, against a really strong gust of wind this won't make a difference, but perhaps it might ease the strain...

The old hoop can most likely be unscrewed from the rest, but a small actuator is not going to last on a vertical set CM dish. CJ might get some reprieve by inverting the dish, offsetting redesign and a bit of counterweight mass, but it will probably not impress the neighbours.

 

[scopus]

When I got my heavy duty Venture, the heavy duty Superjack, which the Venture replaced now does the inclination and declination on my 1.8 CM.

 

[John]

When I got my heavy duty Venture, the heavy duty Superjack, which the Venture replaced now does the inclination and declination on my 1.8 CM.

did the same on mine as well Chris.

 

[RimaNTSS]

I was thinking about this issue many times but still do not know proper solution. Change of declination for any offset antenna is needed just a couple of degrees that is equal to maybe couple of centimeters of the movement of the actuator arm. But then 18,24, 36' actuators are not necessary do do the job. Would be enough to have 2' actuator but very powerful. Instead of that, it could be possible to use some kind of lever arm moved by lets say 18' actuator where movement of 18' would change elevation of the dish by only couple of degrees. I just not ready to offer sone technical solution to do that but I am sure it is possible. This is just thinking out of the box.
I hope I am understood in my explaining of the idea.

 

[Trust]

And make the lever in that way , the actuator has to push to get the dish backwarts .

 

[archive10]

I was thinking about this issue many times but still do not know proper solution. Change of declination for any offset antenna is needed just a couple of degrees that is equal to maybe couple of centimeters of the movement of the actuator arm. But then 18,24, 36' actuators are not necessary do do the job. Would be enough to have 2' actuator but very powerful. Instead of that, it could be possible to use some kind of lever arm moved by lets say 18' actuator where movement of 18' would change elevation of the dish by only couple of degrees. I just not ready to offer sone technical solution to do that but I am sure it is possible. This is just thinking out of the box.
I hope I am understood in my explaining of the idea.

Very well explained.
And exactly what I was thinking.... With suitable mechanical balance, very little actual force might be needed to move reflector.
As for mechanical strength - shouldn't the small actuator be sufficient (if properly made?)

 

[RimaNTSS]

Something in those lines: If actuator is connected to the points B and C. Yellow lines represent fixed infrastructure to the mount. Lever arm is red. Of course, position of the points A, B, C, D, E and F should be carefully calculated. The picture is only schematics .

 

[aceb]

First real blow of the autumn forecast for tonight so the 1.8 is locked down and 1.2 swung over to 90°E to lower it's profile against the wind. Radio mast is wound over into the garden and tethered and all garden furniture has been put away for the winter, I hate this time of year

 

[scopus]

First real blow of the autumn forecast for tonight so the 1.8 is locked down and 1.2 swung over to 90°E to lower it's profile against the wind. Radio mast is wound over into the garden and tethered and all garden furniture has been put away for the winter, I hate this time of year

Makes Winter even longer having rubbish weather in September....usually a nice month.

 

[Captain Jack]

Welp, last night was the windiest - up to 60mph apparently. Thankfully, nothing else snapped and I am still getting max signal on the usual satellites.

Will spend this weekend putting the new jack on. Like all the ideas to ease the strain on it but I am far too lazy, so it'll just be a bigger jack...

 

[s-band]

It hasn't got limit switches but one of Moonbase's 8" Linaks works well for me. I'm not sure about using a clamp on the back end rather than the rear fixing as here: https://www.satellites.co.uk/forums/attachments/declination_1472_std-jpg.106043/ It looks like you might be able to mount a similar U channel on top of your set-up. However, mine's protected from lateral strain.

 

[Captain Jack]

Today's work reminded me of this... Replacing a lightbulb

First, the bigger jack wouldn't fit on the original bracket, so had to make that bigger. After a lot of faffing, with the jack finally on, I found that it wasn't counting pulses. A bit of troubleshooting revealed that the reed switch was short circuit... took one from the 8" jack that broke (internals are the same, more or less) and it's finally on.



Yesterday's snapshot...

 

[scopus]

Hooked up a chain myself...just in case!

 

[John]

Hooked up a chain myself...just in case!View attachment 110513

.. be safer on the vertical angle iron bolt ?... just saying like

 

[scopus]

.. be safer on the vertical angle iron bolt ?... just saying like

Which one do you mean?

 

[John]

Which one do you mean?