Two summers ago I joined the site and posted about getting stung on eBay with a 50 mm (rather than 42 mm) neck on a Digipower SG-2100 motor. Since then, I procured locally another Digipower SG-2100 with a 42 mm neck and got that working nicely on a 90 cm stamped steel dish.
Recently, I came into possession of three Channelmaster 1.0 m and one Channelmaster 1.2 m fiberglass reflectors and went down the archived path and deep into the rabbit hole of enthusiasts who have homebrewed mounts to facilitate attachment to motors. The Channelmasters came with one 2-3/8" pole mount and three 3" Az-El mounts. As is well-documented, these mounts are very heavy, plus they aren't going to adapt easily to the smaller motor necks.
I contemplated a few different interface designs. Long story short, the most straightforward approach - at least from a design and dry-fit perspective - is to cannibalize Star Choice/Shaw dishes that will support the 42 and 50 mm necks. Functionally, these are Channelmaster 60E and 75E reflectors whose back assemblies are flat and have a number of positions for fasteners. These reflectors are also quite common for low to no dollars here in Canada. I think there might also be compatibility option with the back assembly from a DirecTV Slimline dish. Unfortunately, those are a challenge to find north of the border, so will need to bring a few back on my next work trip south of the border. The assemblies are installed upside-down in order to mount to the motor necks, so I will need to use an external inclinometer to set things up.
Currently, I have only mocked up and dry-fit the 60E and 75E back assemblies and these have not been attached to either motor. The initial fit is very tight - maybe only off by a millimetre or two or a small fraction of a degree. This is practically dead nuts with no play or slop due to the drilled or factory holes. The bolts are essentially screwed into the wood, never mind the washers and nuts. There is nothing that I cannot fix in a few minutes with some hand tools - even laying out and drilling the other six plywood blanks I set aside. I expect the mass of a 1.0 or 1.2 with the new mount to be less than published capacity of the motor. The masses are still significant, but are still less than if using the factory mount options. I am using 5/8" plywood that has already spent 2 years outside, but will look to preserve and paint the final products. I expect the weak link to be the fasteners and gearing in the motors that are going to be strained by the associated forces.
I'm heading off on a short vacation and hope to get back to this in about two weeks. I have a closing window of opportunity before the snow starts to fly, so if any viewers have any constructive feedback, I am happy to hear it. Additionally, there is a different motor vendor with better specifications and track records, please let me know. I am not particularly concerned about incurring additional costs, as I would prefer this to be one-and-done.
Attached are a few photos of the mounts on the 1.0 m reflector.
Thanks!
Recently, I came into possession of three Channelmaster 1.0 m and one Channelmaster 1.2 m fiberglass reflectors and went down the archived path and deep into the rabbit hole of enthusiasts who have homebrewed mounts to facilitate attachment to motors. The Channelmasters came with one 2-3/8" pole mount and three 3" Az-El mounts. As is well-documented, these mounts are very heavy, plus they aren't going to adapt easily to the smaller motor necks.
I contemplated a few different interface designs. Long story short, the most straightforward approach - at least from a design and dry-fit perspective - is to cannibalize Star Choice/Shaw dishes that will support the 42 and 50 mm necks. Functionally, these are Channelmaster 60E and 75E reflectors whose back assemblies are flat and have a number of positions for fasteners. These reflectors are also quite common for low to no dollars here in Canada. I think there might also be compatibility option with the back assembly from a DirecTV Slimline dish. Unfortunately, those are a challenge to find north of the border, so will need to bring a few back on my next work trip south of the border. The assemblies are installed upside-down in order to mount to the motor necks, so I will need to use an external inclinometer to set things up.
Currently, I have only mocked up and dry-fit the 60E and 75E back assemblies and these have not been attached to either motor. The initial fit is very tight - maybe only off by a millimetre or two or a small fraction of a degree. This is practically dead nuts with no play or slop due to the drilled or factory holes. The bolts are essentially screwed into the wood, never mind the washers and nuts. There is nothing that I cannot fix in a few minutes with some hand tools - even laying out and drilling the other six plywood blanks I set aside. I expect the mass of a 1.0 or 1.2 with the new mount to be less than published capacity of the motor. The masses are still significant, but are still less than if using the factory mount options. I am using 5/8" plywood that has already spent 2 years outside, but will look to preserve and paint the final products. I expect the weak link to be the fasteners and gearing in the motors that are going to be strained by the associated forces.
I'm heading off on a short vacation and hope to get back to this in about two weeks. I have a closing window of opportunity before the snow starts to fly, so if any viewers have any constructive feedback, I am happy to hear it. Additionally, there is a different motor vendor with better specifications and track records, please let me know. I am not particularly concerned about incurring additional costs, as I would prefer this to be one-and-done.
Attached are a few photos of the mounts on the 1.0 m reflector.
Thanks!
