Need Docs for Ajak mount

[Greg Mueller]

I looked in the document section and printed out the file I found there. But what I have seems a little different (but not much). Also it doesn't explain well what all the holes are for in the mounting ring and setting dec etc. It does say that it is settable between 150° and 180° but I can't find a way to do it. The only paper I have was stuck to the motor....

 

[voomvoom]

The declination is done the same as any polar mount

 

[Greg Mueller]

There appears to be coarse adjustment at the north end and fine tuning at the south. I was just hoping there was some paper that described which hole is for what range

 

[voomvoom]

I'm not sure I understand you, but mine has the declination adjustment on the south end, while the north end has no adjustment for declination.
But, on the north end there is an adjustment for the elevation. And that adjustment is not the declination, but it could effect the declination?
Hope this helps!

 

[Greg Mueller]

In this picture you can see on the cross member a series of holes and I figured those were for coarse adjustment, while the vertical tab is where the threaded adjuster hooks up. I haven't got a real good chance to look at it on the bench to try to figure it out. Also need the directions for which wire goes where. I can tell that the heavier wires are for the motor.

 

[voomvoom]

Greg, sorry but my ring don't look like that one. In the center there are support arms in the basic shape of the letter H that are welded flat across the inside of the ring. Those four brackets on top look the same, the reflector (the dish) will bolt up to them. The one bracket at the top pointing down looks like one of mine (mine has two brackets pointing down), the one on my north bolts up to the polar bar in a fixed position, the one on my south has a long slot (for the declination adjustment) in it, and it bolts to the polar bar through the slot. Mine don't have that shaped bar welded across it, like in your picture. Maybe someone else can help with that? I'm referencing my Unimesh dish. I guess yours is that Perfect 10...?
I'll let someone else tell you how to hook up the wiring, but I think you'll only need two of those three possible connections? Of the other wires, you've already figured out the power wires.

 

[Greg Mueller]

Tear Down TIme

The big green wire is chassis ground

I took the stand alone actuator down to the shop and started messin with that mount. It looks like I got to it just in the nick of time. The motor works fine and the pulse counter is fine. But as I ran it from H to H I could hear it straining in spots. What to do? I know.

Take it apart!

Instead of using a brass or bronze bearing they used a sleeve of some kind of plastic to act as a bearing. It is very brittle now. I had to take the nut off the bottom side and using the Egyptian Method basically press the shaft out of the tube. Rust had started on the lower side of the shaft but is fixable. If there was a thrust washer of some kind it is gone and it's metal on metal. The zerk fitting was rusted solid.

I have a little work to do.

It's soaking in solvent tonight.

That's what happens in western Washington

 

[tvropro]

There appears to be coarse adjustment at the north end and fine tuning at the south. I was just hoping there was some paper that described which hole is for what range

I was going to get an Ajax 180 back in the day. One thing I remember about them was the declination was adjustable in steps (separate holes), that would be your course adjustment. The fine adjustment was the elevation. Thats what I remember from 1989.

 

[tvropro]

In this picture you can see on the cross member a series of holes and I figured those were for coarse adjustment, while the vertical tab is where the threaded adjuster hooks up. I haven't got a real good chance to look at it on the bench to try to figure it out. Also need the directions for which wire goes where. I can tell that the heavier wires are for the motor.

I would guess Red & White are M1 & M2. Blues are sensor green is ground.

 

[pendragon]

I was going to get an Ajax 180 back in the day. One thing I remember about them was the declination was adjustable in steps (separate holes), that would be your course adjustment. The fine adjustment was the elevation. Thats what I remember from 1989.

This is correct. Unfortunately a new unit was supposed to have a "tag on the frame crossmember" that explains which holes to use. When I got my H180 that was long gone, so I calculated which holes to use and checked the declination on the floor before putting it on the pole. I do have a pristine manual that I've been meaning to scan and offer for the documentation forum. I'll try to do that over the weekend, but I don't think it will be of much help.

 

[Anole]

AJAK 180:

Pendragon - if you have better docs, please post 'em! - :up

Many pix of Linuxman's AJAK 180:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/c-band-satellite-discussion/143575-seeking-ajak-mount.html#post1461745

Iceberg posted AJAK 180 manual:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/fta-manuals/121575-ajak-actuator.html
page 3 shows rough and fine declination adjustment

Searching the BUD forum, you'll find more info, but the above may be the most helpful.

There were three AJAK models: light, medium, and (Big Bertha) the 180.
At one time I got caught up looking for some of them, 'till I realized all but the 180 were too light for me.

 

[tvropro]

This is correct. Unfortunately a new unit was supposed to have a "tag on the frame crossmember" that explains which holes to use. When I got my H180 that was long gone, so I calculated which holes to use and checked the declination on the floor before putting it on the pole. I do have a pristine manual that I've been meaning to scan and offer for the documentation forum. I'll try to do that over the weekend, but I don't think it will be of much help.

I never did get it, I went with a polar mount instead because I wanted a finer declination adjustment. If I did I would have kept that doc. I have the original install manual on my Unimesh dish still, since I save all paperwork associated with all my equipment.

I looked at Ice's pictures it seems the declination is pretty straight forward. All you need to know is the declination for your area and set it up like any polar mount using an inclinometer. Slotted declination gets in the ballpark at like 2-4-6-8 degree steps vs 5.875 or something like that. You would use 6 degrees for that 5.875.

 

[1captain]

The big green wire is chassis ground

I took the stand alone actuator down to the shop and started messin with that mount. It looks like I got to it just in the nick of time. The motor works fine and the pulse counter is fine. But as I ran it from H to H I could hear it straining in spots. What to do? I know.

Take it apart!

Instead of using a brass or bronze bearing they used a sleeve of some kind of plastic to act as a bearing. It is very brittle now. I had to take the nut off the bottom side and using the Egyptian Method basically press the shaft out of the tube. Rust had started on the lower side of the shaft but is fixable. If there was a thrust washer of some kind it is gone and it's metal on metal. The zerk fitting was rusted solid.

I have a little work to do.

It's soaking in solvent tonight.

That's what happens in western Washington

Yes Greg "Take it apart"

I have 2 ajax mounts 1 mount totaly rebuilt last year with a 4" cap mount, an other 1 for parts, the main drive gear that come off the motor that drive the chain to the worm drive is shear off due to the mount getting froze in its tube.

now the motor an chain drive, will come off as 1 with 2-1/2" nuts (bolts are tacked to its mount) now make note of shims an don't mix them up, this is important. that zerk is just pressed in so it will pull out with some force. an no thrust washers any where on both of my mounts, the 1/2 moon gears rides up aginst a flat plate, just keep it greased well. an to get my type of mount tube out of it housing I had to cut the declination ajustment (eye bolt) off the 5/8 bolt at the south end of my mount, it was welded to the bolt. then I could slide the tube from its mount. now those plastic shims that they use are tought but with out them their is alot of slope in it, so take care when you slide the tube out of its mount.

also make note of the play in the washers at the south end where you're declination adjustment is, for when you put it back together an weld a new eye bolt back on that 5/8 bolt, at the end of the tube.

I am down in Fl right on the Gulf an things here rust away real easy, maybe just as bad as where you are at. now on my mount ring made all new mounts that bolt to the dish out of stainless an added 4 more for a total of 8. an set mine up on a 10-foot channel master dish, that a Pan-9000 runs it.

here is some pictures.

 

[Greg Mueller]

Anole
Thanks for those links. For some reason I only got the first two pages of those install instructions the first time around. Those 2nd two are very helpful

1captain
It's good to know about the "no thrust washers" thing. If I find another of these mounts, I might want to pirate the parts and make a new mount the way I think it should be done.

Unfortunately by the time I was able to get the thing apart the plastic bearing sleeve was trashed, so I'll have to get some some bronze sleeve bearing material and make some bearings. The rusting of the shaft had created little mountains which tore the plastic and made a real mess on the way out

pendragon
I see that at one time there were little paper tags here and there but when I started opening things up all I got was rust color flitering scraps blowing in the wind.
The only thing that survived, other than the motor tag, was a big red warning label that says if you take this mount apart you warranty is voided. If you have more docs please post them. I'd really like to see them

tvropro
You are right, Red & White are M1 & M2. Blues are sensor. Green is ground.


This is just the project I was looking for. Most of the parts will fit in to my friends glove box sand blaster. The big ring I'll have to do by hand. The guy at the Coast To Coast store sold me some stuff that is supposed to attack rust and alter it chemically so it is inert and then you paint over it. (Not Naval Jelly). That and an orbital sander and a wire brush in the drill and I should be able to fix it up with a few hours labor.

It looks like Ajak made a few different versions of the 180 according to what dish it was to hold.

 

[B.J.]

Yes Greg "Take it apart"

I have 2 ajax mounts 1 mount totaly rebuilt last year with a 4" cap mount, an other 1 for parts, the main drive gear that come off the motor that drive the chain to the worm drive is shear off due to the mount getting froze in its tube.
...

Thanks for the post. I have an Ajax H-H, and it's been getting harder and harder to move, mainly due to the thing getting froze in the tube as you say. I've been meaning to try taking it apart, although my dish is in such bad shape it probably isn't worth the effort.
Anyway, I'll keep this post, in case I get up the energy to try taking it apart.
I WAS able to free it up a bit by losening the bolt at the end of the tube at one point.

 

[Greg Mueller]

Thanks for the post. I have an Ajax H-H, and it's been getting harder and harder to move, mainly due to the thing getting froze in the tube as you say. I've been meaning to try taking it apart, although my dish is in such bad shape it probably isn't worth the effort.
Anyway, I'll keep this post, in case I get up the energy to try taking it apart.
I WAS able to free it up a bit by losening the bolt at the end of the tube at one point.

A couple of things to make the job go faster, should you decide to take it apart.

Rotate the worm wheel around so that it is no longer engages with the worm. You might have to get a monkey wrench on it if it's really sticky.
Undo the two 3/4" nuts that hold the worm/motor assembly to the mount, and remove the assembly (even though it voids your warranty)
Take that nut off the south end of the sticky axis.
Go find a piece of 1/2" threaded rod about 2' long and a nut and thick fender washer.
Take the bronze bearing out of the far south end of the assembly.
Poke the threaded rod through the hole that the bronze bushing was in. Put the nut and washer on the threaded rod after you poke it through the bronze bushing hole.
Put the end of the threaded rod against the end of the shaft that you took that retaining nut off.
By tightening the nut on the threaded rod, you can push the worm wheel polar axis out of that plastic sleeve and the polar axis tube.

It would have saved an hour or so had I done it this way

 

[pendragon]

I've attached my H180 manual and also sent it to the manual forum. Iceberg's document was for the Ajak Geo-Sync, which was a little brother of the H180. They seem very similar.

I was able to set my declination to 5.5 degrees, which is within a few-hundredths of the correct value for here. I don't have my notes from measuring the holes anymore, and I was only trying to find the right combination for my latitude. From what I recall, it seemed you could step in at least 0.5 degree increments.

 

[Anole]

Pendragon -

Thanks for the fresh AJAK 180 manual. - :up
The scan is clearer, and the writing seems much better.


I was going by the weight listed on the other manual of 63 lbs, and assuming it was actually a 180.
Still not sure how they marketed the product back then.
Did some models share the same motor/gear assembly, but just come with different dish-adapter rings?

 

[Greg Mueller]

Thanks pendragon

good stuff !

 

[1captain]

Thanks for the post. I have an Ajax H-H, and it's been getting harder and harder to move, mainly due to the thing getting froze in the tube as you say. I've been meaning to try taking it apart, although my dish is in such bad shape it probably isn't worth the effort.
Anyway, I'll keep this post, in case I get up the energy to try taking it apart.
I WAS able to free it up a bit by losening the bolt at the end of the tube at one point.

By backing off that nut off a bit should not have free up up the rotation of you're ajax mount, because right behind the bracket that bolts to the dish is you're declination adjustment, an that is a eye-bolt welded to the 5/8" bolt, an on both of my mounts they are welded. so when you tighten up that nut up you are also tightening the bracket that bolts to the ring an washers down on the welded eye bolt, but from the eye bolt to the mount side their is 2 0r 3 washers an their is a bit of play in them, not much. so by tightening up that 5/8 nut will have no bind on you're rotation of the mount.