Phlat's Birdview #2

[phlatwound]

I got a chance today to hook up the G-box to the 70:1 mount and play with it a little.

With the 8-magnet wheel setup, running the mount almost as far as it would go in each direction gave me 786 counts (from 344 on the west to -442 on the east).

I was expecting more counts than that, don't know if it is missing counts but I was able to bring the mount back to the same reading on my digital level consistently from either direction, and it would be on the same count number on the G-box.

I'm guessing I was traveling 130-140 degrees, but I will only be able to see about 65 degrees (72W-137W), so that would come to about 350 counts for that amount of travel, probably not near enough for good Ku pointing accuracy.

 

[stogie5150]

I got a chance today to hook up the G-box to the 70:1 mount and play with it a little.

With the 8-magnet wheel setup, running the mount almost as far as it would go in each direction gave me 786 counts (from 344 on the west to -442 on the east).

I was expecting more counts than that, don't know if it is missing counts but I was able to bring the mount back to the same reading on my digital level consistently from either direction, and it would be on the same count number on the G-box.

I'm guessing I was traveling 130-140 degrees, but I will only be able to see about 65 degrees (72W-137W), so that would come to about 350 counts for that amount of travel, probably not near enough for good Ku pointing accuracy.

That's almost unbelievable, J.

My Paraclipse has a FOUR (thats right FOUR) (4) magnet wheel and I get over 2000 counts 43w to 139w....only thing I can figure is that the paraclipse wheel moves MUCH faster to have more counts, I dunno. I have an old HTS mover box on my BV so I can't tell you how many counts it has, it just has sat names.....

But I wouldn't worry about Ku. Not at all. You will be able to bump it if need be to make it work. Ku is so fine on these big dishes if you have any slop at ALL anywhere you will have to bump it for best signal anyway. Don't worry about it.:up

 

[phlatwound]

That's almost unbelievable, J.

My Paraclipse has a FOUR (thats right FOUR) (4) magnet wheel and I get over 2000 counts 43w to 139w....only thing I can figure is that the paraclipse wheel moves MUCH faster to have more counts, I dunno. I have an old HTS mover box on my BV so I can't tell you how many counts it has, it just has sat names.....

But I wouldn't worry about Ku. Not at all. You will be able to bump it if need be to make it work. Ku is so fine on these big dishes if you have any slop at ALL anywhere you will have to bump it for best signal anyway. Don't worry about it.:up

This is my first attempt at moving a BV mount with a G-box so I didn't really know what to expect countwise, but from what I have read in the old threads here I thought there would be more than 800 going basically H-to-H.

Just experimenting at this point anyway, paying my dues, brother!

I am going to hook the G-box up to my little 7.5' mesh with 18" Superjack and see what kind of count number I get limit-to-limit on that setup.

 

[Lak7]

With the 8-magnet wheel setup, running the mount almost as far as it would go in each direction gave me 786 counts (from 344 on the west to -442 on the east).

That's almost exactly what I had with my 24" Venture Max HD Arm and GBox, 43 west to 139 west.

 

[phlatwound]

That's almost exactly what I had with my 24" Venture Max HD Arm and GBox, 43 west to 139 west.

Interesting, thanks for that input, T.

I am guesstimating but I think I was moving the BV mount from approximately 30W-160W and getting about 800 counts.

 

[Lone Cloud]

Interesting, thanks for that input, T.

I am guesstimating but I think I was moving the BV mount from approximately 30W-160W and getting about 800 counts.

That is a great range of sats.

Where I am (far west) with my BV I can go from 160 west - limited by nearby mountains - down to 55.5 west. I've never gotten it to go below that on the east, although I've tried. Just based on the number of counts I have left, it looks like I could reach 145W or even 143W - but I don't get them

I have even put in washers to lessen the 5 degree built in declination per the revised chart. I see little difference in range, though.

You must have a good aiming technique. Care to share it?

 

[phlatwound]

That is a great range of sats.

Where I am (far west) with my BV I can go from 160 west - limited by nearby mountains - down to 55.5 west. I've never gotten it to go below that on the east, although I've tried. Just based on the number of counts I have left, it looks like I could reach 145W or even 143W - but I don't get them

I have even put in washers to lessen the 5 degree built in declination per the revised chart. I see little difference in range, though.

You must have a good aiming technique. Care to share it?

LC, I was just running my mount back and forth with no dish installed, to see how many counts were registered on the G-box, and just guesstimating the distance on the arc it was traveling.

I should have LOS from 72W-137W after I cut one tree down this winter, doubt I'll ever be able to "see" much further east or west than that.

Did you ever post any pics of your homebrew magnet wheel or Birdview dish? If not, please do if possible, thanks.

 

[phlatwound]

That's almost exactly what I had with my 24" Venture Max HD Arm and GBox, 43 west to 139 west.

Lak, I had right at 750 counts with the G-box/18" Superjack (with limits set near max) pushing my 7.5' mesh dish.

I'm wondering if I am missing counts on the BV 70:1 H-H setup, I would think that the 8-magnet wheel should have given me more than +/-800.

I may try running it with a 12v supply and count the actual revolutions of the magnet wheel, then I should be able to understand if I am getting 8counts/rev.

 

[phlatwound]

Some more progress to report on BV solid #2. I fabbed a magnet wheel and disassembled/painted the mount.

I was able to install a complete BV mount unit by myself (while standing in the back of a pickup bed) on my shorter pole (used for 1.2m Prodelin) but this pole is 2'-3' taller so I assembled the mount to the pole 1 piece at a time.

I greased all moving parts in the worm drive and pivot points, also chased all the 1/2-13 threads with a tap and installed new hex head bolts.

 

[phlatwound]

I snuck a another little project in for the day.....built a little bracket and mounted my reed sensor, and installed a bolt through the motor-to-worm gear coupler connection.

I drilled the hole in the shaft out to 25/64" and installed a 3/8" bolt in there....slop is gone.

My G-Box is R.I.P. for the moment but I did hook up an old Toshiba analog receiver and moved the mount with the east/west button and through some preset sat positions that were already programmed into the box.

I don't know what kind of counts I am getting but the reed sensor is detecting the magnets and the mount moved through the Toshiba limit-to-limit presets several times with absolutely no issues.

 

[gremlin411]

Very Very nice work.
Where did you get the template for the new magnet wheel.

 

[phlatwound]

Very Very nice work.
Where did you get the template for the new magnet wheel.

thanks gremlin, I'm capable of some pretty decent work when I stand on the shoulders of giants!


That magnet wheel template is in an earlier thread somewhere but here it is again.

 

[linuxman]

You've done a great job!

The magnet wheel looks much more professional than mine.

 

[phlatwound]

You've done a great job!

The magnet wheel looks much more professional than mine.

Thanks Giant....err...I mean, Fred!

Mine may be a little prettier but until I do some count testing I still haven't proven that it totally works......but I'd bet it does.

I asked you if you would make any changes in what you did and you said not really....well I just did what you did (and documented so well), except for the wheel material.

You even gave me the idea for the reed sensor, that one came out of a smashed motor/gearbox that I had.

The PVC is so much easier to work with, now that I have made one, if I had all my tools laid out I'm sure I could make one from start to finish in less than an hour.

When I get time I'll try to do a thread and break the process down a little better and document where I got my pieces-parts.

 

[Cadsulfide]

Nice paint job, too

 

[turbosat]

Nice job Phlat, as Dave Gardner would say "You are certainly swift upstairs!" haha

 

[phlatwound]

Nice paint job, too

hehe, I used my patented 2-step process to achieve that lustrous finish:

1.) Sand all surfaces until perfect.......or sander becomes bored.

2.) Apply 5 year-old black implement paint with 2" brush.....try to get more paint on BV-related parts than on painter.

Done!

Nice job Phlat, as Dave Gardner would say "You are certainly swift upstairs!" haha

thanks turbo, that makes me feel really good because I know Dave is a real fart smeller himself.

 

[phlatwound]

It has rained all day here but with the help of a couple of my comrades we installed the reflector on my 110:1 BV mount today.

If the sun ever comes out again I will have some pics of this new achievement.

edit: the sun has returned for now... but we got about 7" of rain in a few hours on Saturday.

 

[gremlin411]

I can not wait ..

 

[phlatwound]

I can not wait ..

gremlin, your wait is over (pics added above)!

I think I may have to cut down that piss elm that is in front of that dish.