Antenna positioner interface?

[Greg Mueller]

Does anyone know of a dish positioner (like the Gbox) that will interface to a PC via maybe a serial port?

I was thinking last night that it might be interesting to build an alt-azimuth mount for a dish. I would require 3 axis control. One for azimuth, one for altitude and one for rotation of the lnb (skew or field rotation).

It sure would make tweaking birds easy

Just another daydream

 

[cbandjerk]

I'm sure there are stepper motor controller cards out there for the pc.
And software packages to run and interface to them.

The mechanical part is what gives me nightmares.

If you have a machine shop that shouldn't be a problem

 

[Cadsulfide]

Google Jameco for inexpensive stepper controllers. Google Galil motion control for the big stuff.

 

[cbandjerk]

Gilmer toothed belts and sprockets. Drive it with stepper motors. You can get
some pretty big stuff. This stuff can get very accurate and you don't have to
make worm gear drives
Most printers available use this kind of setup.

 

[Greg Mueller]

I messed with steppers a few years back when I was messin with a telescope mount. They have a whole set of their own problems. Now all the upper crust telescope mounts have gone to servos.

I just thinking how handy it would be to have the power source and memory and (approx) position feed back all in one easy box (well 3 easy boxes).

Plus there's the distance thing to deal with

 

[Lak7]

May not be elegant, but could you use 2 Actuators and 2 Receivers?
1 for Az. and 1 for Elevation.

 

[cbandjerk]

I guess you could use servos. You would have to design some sort of feedback mechanism. That isn't too pleasant either.
Either way all you would need is azimuth and elevation. No polar or HH mounts.
The computer would have all the sat locations in it. You could even set it up to track non-synchronous objects like the space station and shuttle. Just like tracking radar.

 

[Greg Mueller]

This guy didn't do it for C-band, but talk about industrial.....
How about a 16' Paraclipse on an Alt-Az mount?

4.5 Meter Dish Project

What a project!



Come to think of it you could just get 3 cheap antenna positioners all of the same make and model and set them all in a row. You could program each one with it's needed info. Then when you hit "G18" on the remote, they would all three respond with their own position movement.

 

[cbandjerk]

mmm moon bounce. Now you're talkin some heavy hardware

 

[Lone Cloud]

What is actually needed and what would sell, is, in my opinion, a computer chip based system that would recompute the arc when you dial in and log the strongest signal.

I have seen, for HUUUGE dishes, mechanisms that look like they do what Greg is proposing.
The turning is on one axis and a chain and sprocket system tilts the dish up and down.

If this could be made much smaller, and an internal integrated circuit could take the settings and compute the arc, in my view it would be a winner.

Let's face it, as much as some of us are good at aiming a dish, it would be better to do it from the comfort of our home video room - especially in winter.

 

[Greg Mueller]

I bet the lights dim when he moves that dish

 

[Greg Mueller]

What is actually needed and what would sell, is, in my opinion, a computer chip based system that would recompute the arc when you dial in and log the strongest signal.

I have seen, for HUUUGE dishes, mechanisms that look like they do what Greg is proposing.
The turning is on one axis and a chain and sprocket system tilts the dish up and down.

If this could be made much smaller, and an internal integrated circuit could take the settings and compute the arc, in my view it would be a winner.

Let's face it, as much as some of us are good at aiming a dish, it would be better to do it from the comfort of our home video room - especially in winter.

How bout an 82 footer?

 

[gillham]

Check this link for a photo of a Ku dish with inclined orbit support.
hxxp://www.satellitesuperstore.com/dishes-motors2.htm

Search for "inclined orbit antenna" and you should find some commercial dish information.

 

[Hermitman]

If you really want to do this, find a Chaparral Monterey 140 receiver. Its already designed for dual actuator operation and tracks inclined satellites using agc. Then use a corotor II for your lnbs. The 140 will skew them for the best reception, although it can control lnbfs also. There is already a software control program available on the internet linking a computer to the 140 through a modem. The computer can then control which satellite to move to or manually control the dish's movement, as well as other receiver settings. The program is written for European satellites but can be converted for use with satellites in our hemisphere. Adding a second actuator to a polar mount dish is not a big problem. You just have to make sure the elevation pivot points (bolts) are loosened enough for easy movement but not sloppy. Also, adding a counterweight to the elevation axis will keep the elevation actuator from working too hard. Good luck.

 

[Cadsulfide]

This guy didn't do it for C-band, but talk about industrial.....
How about a 16' Paraclipse on an Alt-Az mount?

4.5 Meter Dish Project

What a project!



Come to think of it you could just get 3 cheap antenna positioners all of the same make and model and set them all in a row. You could program each one with it's needed info. Then when you hit "G18" on the remote, they would all three respond with their own position movement.

We need this guy to join us, that is real talent.

 

[Greg Mueller]

While investigating the 140 last night I read where it keys on analog signals to point the antenna (fine tune). Are there analog signals on every bird? Or has this been modified somehow to not need analog?

If you really want to do this, find a Chaparral Monterey 140 receiver. Its already designed for dual actuator operation and tracks inclined satellites using agc. Then use a corotor II for your lnbs. The 140 will skew them for the best reception, although it can control lnbfs also. There is already a software control program available on the internet linking a computer to the 140 through a modem. The computer can then control which satellite to move to or manually control the dish's movement, as well as other receiver settings. The program is written for European satellites but can be converted for use with satellites in our hemisphere. Adding a second actuator to a polar mount dish is not a big problem. You just have to make sure the elevation pivot points (bolts) are loosened enough for easy movement but not sloppy. Also, adding a counterweight to the elevation axis will keep the elevation actuator from working too hard. Good luck.

 

[cbandjerk]

I have found quite a few birds without any analog video present. Some transponders have signal level but I'm not seeing video.
I don't have a digital receiver yet. My 922 is suppose to arrive today.
That would be really neat to see a receiver that could peak both az and el.

http://www.chaparral.net/europe/m140.html

 

[Hermitman]

I'm not sure where you got the info about needing an analog signal. The 140 has a sub-menu feature where you select the type of signal (analog or digital) you want to work with. This optimizes the tuner section to that type signal. Then the fine-tuning works on the strength of the signal received (peaks on the strongest signal). Good Luck.

 

[Greg Mueller]

Great
Glad I was wrong.
Know of any for sale?