Picking Up My First BirdView C-Band Dish

[allen75960]

Yes I plan on getting getting motor hooked up. Will need to get that info from you for the magnet wheel and reed sensor.
I tried out motor today, it just needs a little grease. I

 

[DRCars]

Don't forget about magnetic declination when using a compass. Some places it can be very significant.

DRCars

 

[allen75960]

Yes. I'm in Texas around 4 degrees and dish is about 10ft from metal fence.

 

[allen75960]

I cant edit thread name if a mod can do that for me. It appears I can only edit my last post.

 

[KE4EST]

I cant edit thread name if a mod can do that for me. It appears I can only edit my last post.

How's that?

 

[N6BY]

Yes I plan on getting getting motor hooked up. Will need to get that info from you for the magnet wheel and reed sensor.
I tried out motor today, it just needs a little grease. I

Magnets: http://www.harborfreight.com/10-piece-rare-earth-magnets-67488.html
Magnetic sensor: http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/0/59065-010-ND

For the wheel, I got a 3 in. hole saw and cut a circle out of a 'Lexan' clear acryllic sheet (Lowes or Home Depot). Then I drilled 12 evenly spaced holes for the magnets and placed them in the holes, alternating the polarity as I went.

If I did it again, instead of Lexan I would choose a softer and easier to work with material, such as PVC.

With 12 magnets in the wheel I am getting about 7 pulses per degree of dish turn which is great for C-Band, but I wish I had more for KU. I might try a 24 magnet wheel with smaller magnets next.

 

[allen75960]

So the dish mover I chose will basically counts the pulses from magnets on wheel. And I mount the magnet wheel where the potentiometer was. Then the reed sensor is how the box knows where the dish is pointed ?

 

[N6BY]

Yes, that's the general idea of how it works. Use shielded wire from the magnetic sensor to your dish mover to minimize noise which might produce a false count.

 

[phlatwound]

Here is a thread where I made a magnet wheel for one of my BVs, and there is a drilling template in there for same, if that might be of use to you.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/xen/threads/phlats-birdview-2.166422/