Upside down Dish!

[bhenn]

Thanks for the welcome and warm and encouraging note.

I’m not sure I will be an expert at finding satellites (compared to you guys) at the end of our journey but I will be much improved. There’s certainly lots of room for improvement as I’m still lousy now.

I have a nagging feeling you may be right about vehicle movement. But I really don’t have many options. This dish et al. is already far larger than anything else we carry and the idea of more is truly daunting. Plus, for security and stealth it’d be less conspicuous. Though I think I’m kidding myself as the truck looks like it’ll tip over with this dish.

I’ve pretty much decided where to bolt it and will then experiment for two weeks before we leave (even then I can tweak it). The other variable is that the vehicle probably sways less in certain places. At the front, in the middle or on the sides? I don’t know but I can test.

The other (very unattractive) option is to install pipes at each corner of the truck that you drop to the ground and fix. This cancels the suspension and the vehicle is attached directly to the chassis (not the tires). But that would a lot of work.

Your pictures of upside dishes were great. I’d felt a little crazy about this idea, as I’d never seen one. But your pix were reassuring. (There must be an advantage in wind, right? As they’d present less surface area.)

When we start moving, we’ll have a link on our website, www.vineeta.org I’ll be sure to post pix of the dish affixed.

“I would also be interested in what satellite you will be using and what service!”

Thanks for asking as I’d love to give a plug for a truly amazing company that’s helping us do this. We’re on Anik F1 through Gilat. Gilat are actually sponsoring us and they’ve been (from the CFO to the hub technicians) absolutely golden with us. So helpful. The installers took me on installations to learn. In fact, I had the run of the place and felt like I was part of the team.

With the honcho I started to explain publicity we’d generate for them (what sponsors usually want) and he cut me off, saying he just wanted to help the project.

I didn’t know there were people like this in business and, of course, I wanna make sure they stay in business so thanks for letting me mention them.

LØV€, ßRï@Ñ

 

[PSB]

Gilat are a great company I am certified to install their Starband product here in the US, but have never been asked to do one. The upside down dish works great for locations further away from the equator with very low elevation angles, but they are also an option for keeping a low profile with your dish and reducing wind load and as I am sure I have said a few too many time they look great, look forward to hearing more about your journey and we will defiantly be keeping an eye on the web site, the stabilizer idea sounds great but its also more weight/gas/$, Bonn Voyage


Check this thread upside-downers....

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=31688

 

[bhenn]

Pete, thanks for the heads up on the other thread. Very interesting.

Very strange too because I’d just sat down to write this.

I’ve mounted the dish on the winch support bracket at the front of the car. There’s some sway there but less and it gives the greatest range of motion for the dish. There are other logistical advantages in that I can store the dish on the hood (bonnet for you) and the electrics are there, too.

I’ll send photos tomorrow. It’s too dark now.

I’m second guessing myself on compensating for the offset. I’m right in doubling it, right? Because the elevation adjuster (that came with the dish) includes the offset for right side up. So, when the elevation indicates 52 that’s the beam axis. Not the mechanical axis (which is beam minus offset).

So, if I’m turning it around, the adjuster gonna still be subtracting this offset. So, I’ve gotta double the offset and add it adjuster.

This may be more comprehensible and easier to visualize when I send pix tomorrow.

LØV€, ßRï@Ñ

 

[PSB]

No problem, I seen you on and I knew you would enjoy that picture what a great idea for a temporary roof mount, and the low profile will really help with wind load and neighbors.
I think I will wait and see the pictures and do some research into how to work it out, I cheat and use a satellite identification signal meter so I have never needed to work out the upside down elevation angle, a few experiments will soon give you an answer, I know most off set dish are looking around 22 deg. lower than the beam axis, if that helps.

 

[bhenn]

pix

OK, here goes.

I guess you're right. I'm gonna work out whether to double the offset or not.

If sway’s a problem I can use the car jack under the winch mount and that should keep it still. It’s gonna be trial and error on the road.

I see that a lot of the rigs you guys use have just one arm to the lnb. I have three, which increases my set up time. Should I get (or make) one? Would it work for me?

Ironically, I could use cable guides if it were right way up to stop the lnb from sinking down. But upside down I need something rigid to stop the lnb sinking into the dish.

LØV€, ßRï@Ñ

 

[PSB]

Cool dish! Why the double LNB's (heavy feedhorn)? I would leave it with three supports, more time to set up but we are only talking seconds thanks for the pictures they are much better than words! Great idea, you have found the perfect place for the dish!