Prodelin 1.2m offset on Birdview H-H mount

[turbosat]

Good work there. Not being familiar with a birdview's motor, makes it kinda foreign to me. But looks like you have it figured out.

 

[phlatwound]

Good work there. Not being familiar with a birdview's motor, makes it kinda foreign to me. But looks like you have it figured out.

Thanks turbo, your P*/polar mount thread helped me a bunch to get my head around the concept.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/100414-new-project-primestar-polar-mount.html

The only odd thing about the BV mount is that it has about 5 degrees of declination built into the face of the surface I attached my brackets to. I didn't really pay any special attention to that, but it was part of the total declination of the finished product.

Here is how I did it:

1.) Run H-H mount to apex. I used my digital angle finder to get this real close.

2.) Set main elevation tube (37.7 degrees for my latitude).

3.) Rotate entire assembly to true south.

4.) Tilt dish forwards (set declination) and rotate assembly slightly until I acquired signal on my TS sat (93w).

I don't know what the exact declination angle ended up at, but it should be 5.88 + dish offset angle (22.6 degrees I think) = 28.48 degrees declination.

Since I already had 5 degrees of declination built into the BV mount I'm assuming I added about 23.5 degrees of declination when I tilted the dish forward.

That was something I was wondering, it seems in your thread you had asked if it mattered where the total declination came from (mount/dish bracketry/etc), and I never found an answer to that in the thread.

My conclusion was/is that it DOESN"T matter where it comes from, the declination just has to be there and be correct.

5.) Run dish to extreme ends of my viewable arc (72W on the east, and 123W on the west) and make minor east/west and minor declination adjustments (both of these were very close from the get go).

Not sure if it was luck or skill, but I'll take it. I may even clean the lichens off the face of the dish one of these days!

That's a long-winded account, but bottom line is, it's just back to basics, all those angles and concepts will apply to a polar mount/linear actuator setup as well, hope this helps anyone that tries something similar.

 

[turbosat]

Good summary, I think you're right about the total declination, long as the dish has it, it should track correctly if everything else is set. I think us fta folks can make just about anything work, I have an old wheelbarrow I've been thinking about sticking a lnbf on , lol.

 

[Babadem]

Good summary, I think you're right about the total declination, long as the dish has it, it should track correctly if everything else is set. I think us fta folks can make just about anything work, I have an old wheelbarrow I've been thinking about sticking a lnbf on , lol.

: That is hillarious, but original.:clap:up

 

[phlatwound]

Fabbed a declination adjuster over the weekend, this will help stabilize the dish, as well as making it easier to adjust the declination.

 

[Cadsulfide]

A very cool project!

 

[phlatwound]

A very cool project!

Thanks, C!

You may have noticed I didn't zoom in too close on my welding, still getting used to the little mig welder.

 

[pedrogarcia]

Phlatwound - Really interesting project and a great write up. It's got me thinking of going motorised.

 

[gremlin411]

very nice work phlatwound looks likes a pro did it.

 

[turbosat]

Good work there phlat, and if the welding holds, who cares what it looks like. If I could weld, it'd look like kids did it, lol!

 

[phlatwound]

Thanks to all for the kudos and comments. I really enjoyed getting this project to where it is now but there is a lot to do on it, yet.

Once it cools down I am going to trench my yard and install some conduits to get coax/control wiring/120V AC out to the new sprouts in my "garden.

 

[Mr Tony]

very cool pics and setup phlat

 

[phlatwound]

very cool pics and setup phlat

And many thanks to you Ice, without the help and guidance of you and the SatGuys I would be where I was about a year and a half ago.....barely qualified to operate my Toshiba C-band remote, heck, I couldn't even spell "Ku".

This is a great hobby, it's replaced what I used to do musically, in so many ways...theory, math, unlimited challenges and just seat-of-the-pants feel and touch.

One of these days, when I get some of these projects caught up I'm thinking about sitting down........and watching a little television!!!!

 

[phlatwound]

Put a little lipstick on the pig yesterday.

Painted the reflector, pole and feed arms.....installed a new LNBF holder and fabbed a lid for the BV mount cover.

Need to take everything off the mount to finish the painting, might do that when I install a 5' or 6' offset dish on there.

 

[phlatwound]

Here's a better pic of the side/front.

 

[turbosat]

Good looking work Phlat, could you send me that pole saw-I need to borrow it a few days lol.

 

[Anole]

lookin' good:

I never quite understood the point of a 1.2 on a Birdview mount, so I didn't pay a lot of attention to the thread.
But this one picture really shows the proper way to put an offset dish on a BUD mount!

Several folks have asked in the last few months, and it's always a struggle to convey how they need a wedge to down-tilt their dish to get it to track.
Your picture shows the geometry quite well!
In the future, I'll have to refer newbies to this thread. Thanks! - :up

 

[phlatwound]

Good looking work Phlat, could you send me that pole saw-I need to borrow it a few days lol.

Thanks turbo!

Pretty sure my father-in-law wants that polesaw back, but you're welcome to use it for a spell.

I'll strap it to the back of my golden retriever....just put a biscuit soaked with bacon grease out on your back porch, he'll be there in a month or so.

 

[phlatwound]

I never quite understood the point of a 1.2 on a Birdview mount, so I didn't pay a lot of attention to the thread.
But this one picture really shows the proper way to put an offset dish on a BUD mount!

Several folks have asked in the last few months, and it's always a struggle to convey how they need a wedge to down-tilt their dish to get it to track.
Your picture shows the geometry quite well!
In the future, I'll have to refer newbies to this thread. Thanks! - :up

Anole, I had 3 BV mounts, a very heavy (almost 50 pounds) 1.2 meter Prodelin, a few tools, strong back, weak mind............

I really just wanted to see if I could do it, and one of these days when I run across a 5'-6' offset I will probably try to breed it to a BV mount.

 

[caddata]

I didn't realize it until I read a recent article on aiming Prodelin dishes that the bottom bend of the strut is used to set the polar angle. See the note on the attached picture. Your picture shows it perfectly.