Compensating for dish elevation with motor's latitude adjustment?

[bassist]

Gotta a question that I cannot wrap my mind around:

If I can't adjust a dish up to its correct elevation, can I compensate for that by raising the latitude setting on the motor?

(I'm attempting a project where I trying to install a DTV Slimline onto a 'shell' of a SG2100 whose motor roached out. The dish mount's sleeve fits the SG2100's arm perfectly; however, the top of the back plate bumps into the crook of the SG2100's arm when the 'elevation' is about 10 degrees too shallow.)

 

[brentb636]

NOPE !
The motors latitude adjustment can't be changed if you want to track the arc correctly.

 

[bassist]

NOPE !
The motors latitude adjustment can't be changed if you want to track the arc correctly.

That's what I was afraid of...I think I might be able to get more elevation adjustment by using piece of 1" x 4" or 1" x 6" as a spacer between the sleeve and the back plate of the dish.

 

[Anole]

No to the original question.
But I've seen others get more range by carefully cutting out some of the metal of the mount on the rear of the dish.
Post us a picture showing where the trouble lies.
Some of us have marked up pictures, and reposted with suggestions.

(I'm also remembering one guy who wanted to put a DishNetwork D500 on a motor.
He sliced out a piece of the mount's metal, so the motor shaft would enter from above instead of below)

 

[Mikey11]

if you want to mount a dish like that on a motor then its best to use a motor where the shaft faces up instead of down....this way there is no interference....some of the STAB series motors were designed this way....

like the others said you can not change the motor elevation or latitude....this must be set to your own latitude and never adjusted....

 

[bassist]

if you want to mount a dish like that on a motor then its best to use a motor where the shaft faces up instead of down....this way there is no interference....some of the STAB series motors were designed this way....

like the others said you can not change the motor elevation or latitude....this must be set to your own latitude and never adjusted....

Hey guys,
I'm not going to buy another motor; the point of the project is to salvage some use out of a motor gone bad & a slimline that was just setting around doing nothing & basically have only $5-10 extra into it. So it's going to have to mount shaft down. I am going to try getting 3/4" to 1" between the sleeve & back plate by either cutting wood or buying some fairings & longer carriage bolts. If I can figure out how to make the jpeg files smaller, I'll post some pics.

I've used this Slimline+a Spitfire lnb as successfully a fixed dish on 83 for rtv plus 85 & 91 for some sports backhauls. (It even worked on some HD feeds!!)

What I'm seeking to do is to make a semi-fixed dish but have it be convenient to quickly manually aim the dish. The SG2100 has its motor & worm gear removed so I can use freely swing the arm from side to side.

 

[brentb636]

Sounds like a good project. You'll have a manual, declination adjusted dish mover. Probably can mark sat positions somehow, once you're set up.

 

[Mikey11]

i cant remember where i saw it now but i remember seeing a thread somewhere where a guy made 2 spacers out of about a 4 inch by 4 inch piece if metal....so that moved the dish far enough away to get the clearance needed.....

 

[Mikey11]

here it is.....

 

[bassist]

Thanks Mikey,

I think that idea would work also. If mine doesn't work this might be the '1.02' attempt.

There is one significant difference b/t the mounting designs of the DN shown & the DTV: the sleeve assembly on the Slimline is a separate piece that can be removed from back plate. The sleeve assembly has its own plate. The two plates are joined by 3 carriage bolts. The skew adjustment (for its intended use) is done by changing the relative angular positions b/t the plates. (I gotta take an image to 'splane). I think I can get clearance by utilizing (a) spacer(s) b/t those plates.

I have a DN500 reflector that I'm using for my DN sub. The DTV dish is a much less rickety design & the DTV dish is easiest reflector to adjust I've ever dealt with.

 

[phlatwound]

Don't know if this will help you but I was able to get the travel I needed on a motorized Slimline by inverting the mount:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/228019-dtv-slimline-w-satav-sl2-lnbf.html

 

[Anole]

going old-school with a bent pole

An alternative to using a dead motor to get the critical angle was posted around 2005.
Here's a later 2007 discussion of all the facts, with a link to the pictures PSB posted.

Quite simply, you
- tilt the top of your pole toward true north,
- at the appropriate angle for your latitude,
- set elevation on dish mount to hit your true south satellite,
- then spinning the dish's mount on the pole moves you from bird to bird.
The convenience is, you can mark your pole, and you have hardware you can lock in place on a given satellite.

 

[bassist]

Don't know if this will help you but I was able to get the travel I needed on a motorized Slimline by inverting the mount:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/228019-dtv-slimline-w-satav-sl2-lnbf.html

That is an excellent mod, Phlatwound. I think, however, I'm going to try using a spacer between the plates first. The motor's arm fits beautifully except for needing about 10 degrees of more 'travel'.

 

[bassist]

An alternative to using a dead motor to get the critical angle was posted around 2005.
Here's a later 2007 discussion of all the facts, with a link to the pictures PSB posted.

Quite simply, you
- tilt the top of your pole toward true north,
- at the appropriate angle for your latitude,
- set elevation on dish mount to hit your true south satellite,
- then spinning the dish's mount on the pole moves you from bird to bird.
The convenience is, you can mark your pole, and you have hardware you can lock in place on a given satellite.

I remember considering trying this a couple of years ago. But I won the now dead motor in a contest & installed that instead. Fortunately I had bought a used spare for $25. I think that it will be more convenient & precise setting the latitude utilizing the shell of the dead motor. Also, I should be able to mark the sat' positions on the azimuth scale on the dead motor.

 

[bassist]

Update on my project:

After a little thinking while walking up & down the aisles of a local HD store and a Lowes & stumbling around in my garage, I hit on the idea of mitering wedges out of some old-used "5-4" deck boards to slip between the dish's back plate & the pole sleeve assembly.

I also had the idea on how to move the dish manually: I had a finger-hole cut in the top housing so I can turn the worm gear with my index finger. It's a little greasy, but since this is going to be a semi-fixed reflector, I can live with a little grease.

I have the thing assembled but today's the day I'm going to get a chance to aim it.

 

[AcWxRadar]

Bassist,

I think everyone has so far missed your point that the motor is DEAD. If the motor is dead, you are not tracking the arc with it, you are just using it as a fixed point dish mount, right? In that case, you can move the motor elevation all you want to make up for what you need to get the dish elevation adjusted properly. You will, of course, want to manually position the motor tube to the zero degree or center position if it died when pointing off to the east or the west. You want that to be straight up (or down).

This is not a bad idea. You gain the extra range of adjustment (one that you can read in degrees easily) from the motor's angle adjustment.

RADAR

 

[bassist]

Bassist,

I think everyone has so far missed your point that the motor is DEAD. If the motor is dead, you are not tracking the arc with it, you are just using it as a fixed point dish mount, right? In that case, you can move the motor elevation all you want to make up for what you need to get the dish elevation adjusted properly. You will, of course, want to manually position the motor tube to the zero degree or center position if it died when pointing off to the east or the west. You want that to be straight up (or down).

This is not a bad idea. You gain the extra range of adjustment (one that you can read in degrees easily) from the motor's angle adjustment.

RADAR

Actually Radar, I am trying to track the arc with it. Here's what my goal is: I want a semi-fixed dish that can occasionally be easily repositioned at least from 72W to 101 or 105 W. So the suggestions have been relevant.

I didn't get as far as I wanted yesterday. But I did get my contraption to track the circular birds 119 to 110 to 91 pretty well using a 22.5 degree wedge. But nothing else. I gotta play with my dish elevation some more. (I think I have an idea on how to make this adjustable.)

Anyway, it was a beautiful day to drink beer & mess around outside.

 

[AcWxRadar]

Actually Radar, I am trying to track the arc with it. Here's what my goal is: I want a semi-fixed dish that can occasionally be easily repositioned at least from 72W to 101 or 105 W. So the suggestions have been relevant.

I didn't get as far as I wanted yesterday. But I did get my contraption to track the circular birds 119 to 110 to 91 pretty well using a 22.5 degree wedge. But nothing else. I gotta play with my dish elevation some more. (I think I have an idea on how to make this adjustable.)

Anyway, it was a beautiful day to drink beer & mess around outside.

Bassist,

Oh, I understand what you are wanting to do now. Yep, the suggestions would all be in line then. Good luck with it and enjoy those nice days when they come along!

You know, a warm 72° day with deep blue skies and slight waft of a breeze with no bugs and some ice cold beer out on a nice green lawn sounds awfully good!

RADAR