Please Help with LNB / Feed Assembly / DMX241 or Original? - On the roof now...

[FaT Air]

I.m unclear where your measuring. The tube the motor is attached to is about 20 inches long, and the extendable portion is another 16 from the end of the motor tube, when extended fully?

 

[signal.quest]

The 16" measurement was from the base where the tube extension meets the main barrell to dish mount. Does that make sense? And the 20" measurement was where the adjustable arm clamp is away from the dish mount. I can take pictures if it helps.

 

[FaT Air]

What's the overall length of the motor tube, That length minus a few is close to what can be extended. I'm thinking that you have a 24 inch. So the 16 inches extended is probably not all that it's capable of. Might be the limit switch (adjustable)is stopping it before max extension. Another 8 inches would make a big difference. They may have set them to get the domestic sats only, where the subs were BITD.

 

[signal.quest]

I will measure the entire thing next chance I get up on the roof. I made some more azimuth adjustments and scanned in a bunch of eastern SAT's, kind of suprised me - I'm not even sure what they are, yet. I made note of the channels and need to look at lyngsat to see what SAT they were on. I know I got 22W which impressed me by how far east it is... Thanks for your continued support in what my wife calls a ridiculous obsession (hobby).

 

[signal.quest]

I have not had time to measure the Actuator yet, but I did adjust the physical limit bolts to allow it to retract almost all the way east so I could reach the feed assembly. In doing this I know it limited how much west it will extend. What is the limit switch? How is it adjusted? It would be great if I could get this actuator to reach everywhere.

 

[FaT Air]

Take the cover off the actuator and you should have either a cam or rod that can be adjusted. Here's a cam style: ( Cam in upper right ) http://www.satelliteguys.us/attachment.php?attachmentid=59086&d=1291568369
and this is a rod style: http://www.satelliteguys.us/attachment.php?attachmentid=59089&d=1291568795
Yours probably won't look identical.
Pictures from Likvid post http://www.satelliteguys.us/c-band-satellite-discussion/236217-superpowerjack-actuators-clones.html Thank you.

 

[signal.quest]

Is there a danger to maxing out it's reach?

 

[FaT Air]

Well, there are two. One, the actuator may stick, as it's driven into a mechanical dead end. Two, the actuator arm gets closer to the polar axis as it is extended. Once it becomes so close, the actuator/mount geometry weakens the actuators effectiveness at holding the dish, or "Over Centers". This results in the dish flopping down, and the actuator alone is unable to raise it back up, as the new geometry doesn't allow it. Best to watch the mount/actuator geometry as it's extended. And adjust the limit so you're before the point where the actuator "Over Centers" If you can extend all the way mechanically, without fear of "Over Centering" Set the limit switch just before it hits the mechanical "dead end".