Invacom QPH-031 replacement lens

[Vorg]

I have a Invacom QPH-031 and the lens is broken. What should I use to make a replacement?

 

[lubrikator]

I have a Invacom QPH-031 and the lens is broken. What should I use to make a replacement?

...condom, that's all.

 

[PANHANDLER]

Call the distribtor that you purchased it from , i'm sure they would be happy to send you a replacement lense .

 

[Anole]

Yea, didn't they come with a 5-year warranty?

 

[Vorg]

Is that smoked plastic cover some exotic material?

 

[Tron]

My first QPH has the same problem. I don't have the receipt, so I'm not sure how I'd go about having it replaced. I guess I should e-mail Invacom. The material deteriorated because of UV...

 

[brentb636]

Sadoun used to sell them, I bought two from him. Perhaps you could PM him to get his attention, and see if he can suggest a source.

 

[B.J.]

I just put plastic zip lock bags around mine. Just make sure you leave them open on the bottom so that water can drain out if any gets in, and also allow it to breath so water doesn't condense inside. I just stretch the bags over the top, leaving them open on the bottom, covering the whole lnbf. That way it also protects the coax connections too. It works well on my single arm Fortec dish, but is more difficult on my Primestar that has 3 support arms.

 

[Vorg]

I live in the desert and the UV makes quick work of any plastic not made for UV which is likely what distroyed the cover. The white covers used on other lnbs turn chocky on the surface, but hold up.

 

[Tron]

Sadoun used to sell them, I bought two from him. Perhaps you could PM him to get his attention, and see if he can suggest a source.

Well, I bought mine a long time ago (but a bit less than five years ago) from a member who always seems to be on vacation...

I hope I can get some help by writing Invacom directly.

 

[Cadsulfide]

pop the cover off a DN or DTV single an little exact o carving, a little silicone sealant and...Jack's your Uncle.

 

[brex2001]

What about smoked Lexan window material? It's available in 1/16" thickness.

 

[Anole]

I don't have the QPH, but I do have an SNH-031
As I recall, it's got a sheet of dark yellow Kapton keeping out the elements.
It's a very durable and thin film, almost impervious to most contaminates.
Not sure how it's attached.

 

[brex2001]

Mcmaster-Carr lists Kapton but lists it for indoor use.

Lexan is available there also in clear or translucent white.

Polyetherimide is weather resistant in translucent amber .003" x 12" x 24"sheets, Part #7576K11, $8.06 each. Operating range of -20F to +338F, poor impact resistance(but who of us would shoot anything at our precious lnbfs?).

 

[dougruss]

pop the cover off a DN or DTV single an little exact o carving, a little silicone sealant and...Jack's your Uncle.

That's what I did to mine about 6 months ago...works great ! :up

.

 

[B.J.]

pop the cover off a DN or DTV single an little exact o carving, a little silicone sealant and...Jack's your Uncle.

What is the silicone sealant for? Seems like with those big drainage holes at bottom and sides that are big enough for a grasshopper to climb through silicone sealant wouldn't do much. However I haven't taken the cover off to see exactly how it's put together so I may be missing something.

 

[dougruss]

Forgot to Add pic to my above post.................

 

[Vorg]

Didn't think about using a dishnet cover. have a dead dual I could use

 

[knowmiddlename]

Mcmaster-Carr lists Kapton but lists it for indoor use.

Lexan is available there also in clear or translucent white.

Polyetherimide is weather resistant in translucent amber .003" x 12" x 24"sheets, Part #7576K11, $8.06 each. Operating range of -20F to +338F, poor impact resistance(but who of us would shoot anything at our precious lnbfs?).

Thanks for the source info. Kapton also makes a wonderful high voltage insulator and bypass capacitor when sandwiched between two aluminum plates. :up

 

[Vorg]

Was removing the old lens and looked in side the throat. There is another problem with these. That Lens provides the water tight seal. At the bottom end of the throat there are 2 wires at right angles. These are NOT the pickup wires.

You will also see 2 rectangular holes down there. Those are openings for the signal to get to the real pick elements which are traces on one of the boards. That means water can also get into the electronics through those holes and do.

I first removed the metal cover on the horn side. There is a large cast metal shell covering the upper board which is soldered to a lower board which also has the connectors soldered to it. But you can't see the bottom edge of that lower board because it is hidden by the outer casing.

Removed the metal plate from the back side and it has another cast metal shell covering a second upper board. The bottom edge is soldered to the other side of that lower board. However you can see the bottom edge of the lower board and it was corroded. Had areas of the white powder you see when aluminum oxidizes.

It can be cleaned with isopropyl alcohol and a soft tooth brush. But it's very hard to inspect, let alone clean the other side along that edge.

It's now clear why it stopped working for awhile after a rain.

I did email Invacom asking about the lens but got no responce.