10' dish replacement alignment mechanism

[mikeineburg]

Yet another newbie issue
I need to tweak the alignment on a BUD that has a VERY rusted mechanical jack arrangement. Once aimed, this dish won't need to move. So, I'm looking for a source for a replacement mechanical jack. I could probably accomplish the same thing with some 3/4" threaded rod and a turnbuckle - but if there is an off-the-shelf solution out there, that would be my preference.
Any thoughts?

Also - shout out to Eugene at Satellite AV. Thanks very much for the help yesterday. The GeoSat receiver is working like a champ.

Mike

 

[primestar31]

Yet another newbie issue
I need to tweak the alignment on a BUD that has a VERY rusted mechanical jack arrangement. Once aimed, this dish won't need to move. So, I'm looking for a source for a replacement mechanical jack. I could probably accomplish the same thing with some 3/4" threaded rod and a turnbuckle - but if there is an off-the-shelf solution out there, that would be my preference.
Any thoughts?

Also - shout out to Eugene at Satellite AV. Thanks very much for the help yesterday. The GeoSat receiver is working like a champ.

Mike

Are you saying your c-band dish has one of the old "hand-screw" jacks on it, instead of a powered motor?

Replace it with a Trailer Jack: Trailer Jacks at Harbor Freight Tools

I'm sure you will see it won't take much to mod one to fit.

 

[mikeineburg]

Are you saying your c-band dish has one of the old "hand-screw" jacks on it, instead of a powered motor?

Replace it with a Trailer Jack: Trailer Jacks at Harbor Freight Tools

I'm sure you will see it won't take much to mod one to fit.

Yes, it has a hand screw much like a trailer jack. Only, it is now 50% jack and 50% rust. If that is what the world uses, I'm happy to weld ears as appropriate. I just want to be sure it stays put once aimed.
Thanks.

 

[primestar31]

Yes, it has a hand screw much like a trailer jack. Only, it is now 50% jack and 50% rust. If that is what the world uses, I'm happy to weld ears as appropriate. I just want to be sure it stays put once aimed.
Thanks.

It'll work well, that's all they used in the beginning except for fixed mounts. I did back in 1984 have a 6 ft dish on a polar mount that used threaded rod and some pillow blocks and such for hand-cranking it. So, yes, you can make something like that up for yourself if you want the hassle. Why bother when you can buy a trailer jack for less than $25?

The only issue will be, once you get a taste of what you can get off of c-band, you'll really wish you had installed a motor instead!

 

[T4Runner]

Picture?

 

[mikeineburg]

It'll work well, that's all they used in the beginning except for fixed mounts. I did back in 1984 have a 6 ft dish on a polar mount that used threaded rod and some pillow blocks and such for hand-cranking it. So, yes, you can make something like that up for yourself if you want the hassle. Why bother when you can buy a trailer jack for less than $25?

The only issue will be, once you get a taste of what you can get off of c-band, you'll really wish you had installed a motor instead!

I'm thinking if I have to mod something up, there is beauty in simplicity. One of the goals will be to resist future rust.

Regarding a prospective wish for a motor - while that may be true in many circumstances, not true here. This is for a community of religious women - and the dish needs to be permanently locked onto 133W for EWTN.

Cheers!

 

[toucan-man]

The cheap trailer jacks have a lot of slop, won't the dish wag in the wind?

 

[phlatwound]

Is the dish pretty close to aiming at 133W now?

If you can turn the whole mount/dish on the pole to tweak the azimuth, and use either the elevation or declination adjuster to tweak the elevation, you should be able to get it aimed without changing any parts out.

 

[primestar31]

I'm thinking if I have to mod something up, there is beauty in simplicity. One of the goals will be to resist future rust.

Regarding a prospective wish for a motor - while that may be true in many circumstances, not true here. This is for a community of religious women - and the dish needs to be permanently locked onto 133W for EWTN.

Cheers!

If you are going to just lock the dish down, then all you need is some angle-iron to replace the crank, and a couple of bolts.

 

[mikeineburg]

Is the dish pretty close to aiming at 133W now?

If you can turn the whole mount/dish on the pole to tweak the azimuth, and use either the elevation or declination adjuster to tweak the elevation, you should be able to get it aimed without changing any parts out.

It is the elevation that needs to be tweaked. There is no fine tune other than the existing jack assembly - that is inoperable.

 

[phlatwound]

Please post a picture of your mount if possible.

If the dish is fairly close now, and it has any kind of elevation adjuster that is operable, you should be able to get it aimed.

Since it is going to be fixed anyway you don't need it to be adjusted to track the arc, so just use any mechanical adjustment built into the mount to point it wherever you want.