Motor... up or down?

[GutBomb]

I live in an apartment and have my dish mounted on a balcony. as you can see from the pic below I do not have enough room to mount the dish on a motor with the rotating pole pointing down. my apartment complex will not allow me to place the dish overhanging the balcony so my only option is a motor that points up. the motor in the picture below is a HH120 from Stab. this would be ideal but this motor is very expensive. do you know if the SG2100 (the pic of the motor pointing down) can be used in a "pointing up" configuration instead? the prices for the SG2100 and good reviews make it sound like a better buy than the HH120 if it can be used in a pointing up configuration.

below are 3 pics. one is my dish. the second is a motor the way I want it (with the rotating pole up) and one the way I don't want it (with the rotating pole down)

 

[Cascade]

It has to be pointing down I'm afraid.
You'd be inverting the arc if you used it with the shaft pointing up.

 

[Cascade]

Thinking about it, is there a way you could use the mount from the 1st pic and attach the SG2100 onto that? The dish shouldn't overhang that way.
The clearance would be tight I guess.

 

[GutBomb]

yeah the clearance would not work at all. the balcony railing would be in the way of the dish even on the highest of elevations. as it is i ahve the dish barely on the arm. so it sounds like the possibility of using the SG2100 is out. anyone know about the H2H motors i see on ebay for around $70? all the photos show it pointnig down, but i thought maybe there is just a setting to change east to west. any other tweaks could theoretically be adjusted by changing elevation. (looking at the photos the motors seem to be cosmetically very similar, same angles and everything, just mounted on the pole bracket differently)

 

[Cascade]

Can you use a longer mount? I have one here that may work. Even if it hit the dish you could bend the pole a few degrees so it'll fit.
Lemme go take a pic..

 

[PSB]

I think it may work, you don't have much travel in that position, and it may take some messing about, but as long as you can get the same angle on the tube it should work, I am more worried about the overhang, the further up you put the dish the more of an issue it will become, if space were not an issue it may be better to put the dish on a tripod behind the railing on the balcony down low, then use a SG2100 in the regular way. If you do use the upside down motor you will have to motor West when you want to go east..... no biggie, its worth a try you will get your use out the motor one way or another. The mounting tube can be removed if need be, and I think put back on upside down, if that helps. You will also have to make sure no water gets in the connections.

 

[GutBomb]

heh, a longer mount is definitely something i could use. my current mounting arm is much too small. i don;t know if you have a winegard 76cm like me, but the way the cuff that goes around the mounting arm is, i have the cuff only on there about an inch deep. any lower on the pole and the LNB arm would hit the mounting arm and i would not be able to hit any elevation lower than 40 (lots of sats from here are at elevations lower than 30... the easternmost and westernmost ones)

 

[PSB]

Good idea Cascade, what about turning the mast tube upside down, you would have to drill the holes, but many mast tubes come ready to use in either way. May give you the room you need.

 

[Mr Tony]

Are you by chance using a Dish or DirectTv mount?

I was using one and when Pete came to install my motor, it wouldnt work. We used a longer mount and then we had no problems

 

[GutBomb]

I think it may work, you don't have much travel in that position, and it may take some messing about, but as long as you can get the same angle on the tube it should work, I am more worried about the overhang, the further up you put the dish the more of an issue it will become, if space were not an issue it may be better to put the dish on a tripod behind the railing on the balcony down low, then use a SG2100 in the regular way. If you do use the upside down motor you will have to motor West when you want to go east..... no biggie, its worth a try you will get your use out the motor one way or another. The mounting tube can be removed if need be, and I think put back on upside down, if that helps. You will also have to make sure no water gets in the connections.

i suppose substituting east for west would rule out using USALS. no biggie. i can used stored positions instead.

for waterproofing i imagine a piece of a garbage bag duct tape to seal around non-moving parts will probably work

i guess this is the MacGuyver approach to FTA.

 

[Cascade]

Yeah, I have the same dish.

Here's the mount I was talking about, it's 41 inches or so long, if you reverse the pole it may help, and save you having to bend it.

 

[GutBomb]

i'm using the mount that came with my winegard 76cm. i think it is more meant to be pointed outward than inward like i am using it.

 

[Cascade]

i guess this is the MacGuyver approach to FTA.

That's what makes this so much fun for me

 

[GutBomb]

any chance you could measure the length of the angled portion of that mast? it looks perfect.

 

[Cascade]

Sure thing.

7 inches, give or take.

 

[PSB]

If you turn your own mast around it will give you an extra 6" or so height!

 

[GutBomb]

I am more worried about the overhang, the further up you put the dish the more of an issue it will become

i can overhang a little bit. the LNB already hangs over. they will justh ave an issue if the pole is on the outerside of the balcony rather than the inside.

 

[PSB]

I mean the overhang of whatever is above the dish (upstairs balcony?), I have had more problems with what overhangs a dish than what is in front of it over the years.

 

[GutBomb]

Sure thing.

7 inches, give or take.

Thanks a lot! I am going to look at the possibility of turing my pole around when i get home to see if the holes are there for it. If not I don;t want to go drilling on it. How much would you want for that pole? it almost looks too high (i would have to put the dish at the top of it or else higher elevations the back of the dish would hit it. i suppose cutting the pole to make it shorter is a possibility too.

let me know.

right now i am leaning towards trying an SG2100 upside-down and substituting east for west, but if i can find another way to use it, i'm all for it.

 

[GutBomb]

I mean the overhang of whatever is above the dish (upstairs balcony?), I have had more problems with what overhangs a dish than what is in front of it over the years.

oh i'm covered there. from my estimates i only would be increasing the height of my setup by 6 inches at the most by using an upside-down sg2100. i have 2 feet of clearance above the dish.



let me just say now WOW. the response time on this forum is amazing you guys are all a great asset to the community. I appreciate all your help greatly!