Fingers Crossed on my CM 1.2 m

[bloomdog]

I just motorized my Channel Master 1.2M dish on a homemade LIGHT WEIGHT mount connected to a H-H Jaeger DisEqc 1.2 USALS motor. Let's see if it tracks the arc. If it does, I'll post some pictures if anyone wants to see them. I also sucessfully mounted my 75 cm Globecast (a/ka/ Channel Master) eliptical dish on the motor via amother homemade mount and it worked fine (despite some prior postings which said it couldn't be done).

 

[turbosat]

YES we wanna see it! Once you're sure its working ok, and have time, post some pics of it. I just put a 1m primestar on a polar mount, and have the best signal readings I've ever gotten in over a year of having fta. Always helps the rest of us to know 'how you did it'

 

[bloomdog]

So far my CM 1.2 m is scanning the arc near perfectly!!!!! Just took some photos-will post soon. A few satellites have to be nudged with DisEqc 1.2, though. Any input would be helpful to be able to avoid the nudging. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!
Couldn't have done it without the collective help and info. from this group! God bless ya' all!

 

[caddata]

Bloomdog:

Check this link Setting up a polar mount satellite dish ( and see if it helps.

Harold

 

[PopcornNMore]

Channel Master 1.2m

My Channel Master 1.2m has been motorized with a SG2100 H-H drive now for the past 2 years and I have had no problems.

 

[bloomdog]

Your prior postings on this subject were a large part of my inspiration to get this done. I will post pictures this evening. Thanks!!!

 

[caddata]

Bloomdog:

How did you correct for the 22 degree offset?

Harold

 

[bloomdog]

OK--here we go!

Ok--here's how I did it. I used 1 1/2" square, hollow aluminum tubing. Cut three pieces to size. I purchased a fortec 80 cm mount ($10 plus shipping) from Sadoun. This mount is strong, yet very light weight. It allowed me to adjust the elevation skew and to adjust for the offset angle of my dish (16.9 degrees). The rest should be obvious from the pictures. Note: the dish is so heavy that the two horizontal screws on the mount (which sets the angle of the dish relative to the motor's snout) are not strong enough to hold the dish at the 24 degree angle I needed. So, I attached a plumbing clamp to the snout of the motor. I bought a straight, 3/8" bolt which screws into the plumbing clamp. I cut it size with a hack saw. At the other end of this bolt, I then screwed on a "sleeve" which allows the user to connect two bolts. This sleeve allows for fine tuning to a fraction of a degree. Now, the angle of the dish only has to be set one time. The weight of the dish against this "set screw" keeps everything rigidly in place. This part can be redone by using a longer "set screw" which bolts to the center spine of the mount. I'm still pondering this.

Note: the base is a temporary one which is one wheels so I can wheel it around my driveway. I can make the pole plumb at any location by using shims in the right place. I have not decided where the permanent location will be yet.

This set up tracks the arc nearly perfectly--I am near Boston. When I was aimed at G10R, I had to nudge the dish a few clicks with DisEqc 1.2 commands.

My HH motor is a Jaeger SuperJack DG 120+. I bought it on Ebay in Austria. It moves the dish with ease.

If anyone has any questions, would like more details, would like any more photos, just let me know. I owe everything to the other more senior posters to these forums from whom I have learned so much such as Iceberg, PopcornNmore (who gave me the inspiration from his prior posting to try this), Anole, Stogie 5150, Tron, Gabshere and Likvid to name a few.

 

[swampman]

Nice setup bloom. Where did you get the dish? Looks almost new!

 

[turbosat]

Nice pics Popcorn, looks like it's pointed at your house!

 

[turbosat]

Great job Bloomdog-is that motor supposed to be six million dollar man of satellite movers (better,stronger,faster) ?? Never heard of that brand. Nice bracket, clever.

 

[turbosat]

Great job Bloomdog, like the bracket too. Never heard of that motor, is it stronger than the motecks and digiwaves?

 

[Anole]

Nice job, there.
Looks like you incorporated all the good ideas that've been posted, here.
I don't see a pivot bolt through the middle of the Fortec elevation adjustment, though

I do particularly like the light weight tubing.
But, that threaded hex thing - it locks in place every 1/6th of a turn - very imaginative!

 

[PopcornNMore]

Great job Bloomdog. I noticed that the mounting holes on the back of your CM 1.2m dish are different than mine. My 1.2m dishes have mounting holes 12" on center within a square. your dish seems to be 12" left to right and 24" top to bottom.

I am now trying to motorize my CM 1.2m dish were the mounting holes are 24" on center within a square.

 

[bloomdog]

Nice setup bloom. Where did you get the dish? Looks almost new!

I watch CRAIGSLIST like a hawk for satellite/FTA-related stuff. I saw this dish on CRAIGSLIST. I drove 2 hours and paid $60 for it from a private individual. It fit in the trunk of my car, thank god.

 

[bloomdog]

Great job Bloomdog-is that motor supposed to be six million dollar man of satellite movers (better,stronger,faster) ?? Never heard of that brand. Nice bracket, clever.

Here's more on this motor: http://www.jaeger.com.tw/tvro/superjack/pdf/dg120.pdf

I got in on Ebay from a dealer in Austria. Was not too expensive. I read a review of it on the internet which said it could handle a 60 lb dish!

 

[bloomdog]

Nice job, there.
Looks like you incorporated all the good ideas that've been posted, here.
I don't see a pivot bolt through the middle of the Fortec elevation adjustment, though

I do particularly like the light weight tubing.
But, that threaded hex thing - it locks in place every 1/6th of a turn - very imaginative!

A pivot bolt wasn't necessary. On the inside of the Fortec bracket are "nipples". Since my aluminum tubing was a perfect fit, I merely drilled holes in the tubing which correspond to the nipples. So, it pivots nicely without a bolt.

 

[bloomdog]

Great job Bloomdog. I noticed that the mounting holes on the back of your CM 1.2m dish are different than mine. My 1.2m dishes have mounting holes 12" on center within a square. your dish seems to be 12" left to right and 24" top to bottom.

I am now trying to motorize my CM 1.2m dish were the mounting holes are 24" on center within a square.

That's correct--my dish is a "Type 123" which has elongated mounting holes. As I recall, the holes are approx. 10" apart, horizontally, and approx. 15" apart, vertically. I can give you exact measurements if anyone wants them. What I gave a great deal of thought on was where to attach the Fortec mount on the vertical mounting bracket. It occurred to me that the dish should pivot at the exact point that it would pivot on an AZ/EL mount otherwise the dih offset would be wrong as it travels the arc. So, I lined up the vertical mounting bracket next to the AZ/EL mount I have and got the pivot point as close as I could.

 

[bloomdog]

Nice job, there.
Looks like you incorporated all the good ideas that've been posted, here.
I don't see a pivot bolt through the middle of the Fortec elevation adjustment, though

I do particularly like the light weight tubing.
But, that threaded hex thing - it locks in place every 1/6th of a turn - very imaginative!

I have studied these forums for months and have read nearly every thread. I figured that there was no reason to reinvent the wheel. Just redesigned it a bit.

 

[bloomdog]

Did same thing to my eliptical dish whose hole are not centered in the back. Worked great! See thread for photos:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-ai...d-same-thing-my-globecast-eliptical-dish.html