Polar Mount Dish Without Actuator
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i cut a metal bar and have clip on pins on the ends, but i like the old crank idea just have to locate one of them or get a picture so i can fab one up.
z4cCamaro if you find it post a few pictures , will be a good idea for stationary dishes.
z4cCamaro if you find it post a few pictures , will be a good idea for stationary dishes.
In the "early days", polar mounts were constructed so as to use a boat trailer leveling jack. Later, dish manufacturers used a similar device, made by the same boat jack people, that was much longer. The longer jack had a much better mechanical advantage and were easier to extend and retract. The shorter "boat jack" would require a longer handle for easy operation. "Boat trailer jacks" are readily available at any boat dealer at a very reasonable price.
Get a large piece of all-thread (looks like a long bolt with no head) from the local hardware store and four nuts to fit it. Loosten and tighten the nuts as needed to change satellites.
I think bnaivar said it, but here is what has worked pretty slick, get a big threaded rod long enough to cover what you need to see. Then get some eye bolts, make sure the rod will go thru the eye and the bolt itself will fit holes on the polar mount. Then what you do is lock one end of the eye bolt to the end of the rod and bolt that down to the polor mount, then the arm that swings the dish, point the dish at the bird you want to see and thread a nut on each end so that you lock the eye bolt on the rod. You can have an eye bolt all peaked up on each bird.
If you would like I can post a picture of this?
A friend of mine who works in the paging industry came up with a rig like this, because sometimes things would happen to the bird and to get the paging site back up the dish would have to be swung to a new bird. These dishes were typicaly were are up on towers, and he wasnt always there to hit every single site. So he color coded the eye bolts had them all peaked up, then you could send someone with out any meters, and say "put it on the yellow eye bolt" the system worked pretty well.
Like I said I will post a picture of mine if you would like.
If you would like I can post a picture of this?
A friend of mine who works in the paging industry came up with a rig like this, because sometimes things would happen to the bird and to get the paging site back up the dish would have to be swung to a new bird. These dishes were typicaly were are up on towers, and he wasnt always there to hit every single site. So he color coded the eye bolts had them all peaked up, then you could send someone with out any meters, and say "put it on the yellow eye bolt" the system worked pretty well.
Like I said I will post a picture of mine if you would like.
all-thread
I was looking at all-thread in the store last week.
Might have been a Home Depot, but might be true of all home building stores...
I found threaded rod of 5..6..7 feet in length in one section of the store.
Seems like 1/4-20 was under $10. Maybe around $8
Found it elsewhere in the store in maybe a 2 foot length, for just a little less.
Then I ran across the same material in maybe 1 foot lengths, too.
Price might have been $5 (wasn't taking notes)
You'd think it would all be in one place but it was not !
But the point is, there was little or no savings on getting the shorter pieces.
You'd be better off getting the 6..8 foot material, and having some for your next project (or to give away).
Next time I'm in the store, I'll write down accurate prices and lengths, but for now just be aware.
Shop around if you are in the market for all thread.
I was looking at all-thread in the store last week.
Might have been a Home Depot, but might be true of all home building stores...
I found threaded rod of 5..6..7 feet in length in one section of the store.
Seems like 1/4-20 was under $10. Maybe around $8
Found it elsewhere in the store in maybe a 2 foot length, for just a little less.
Then I ran across the same material in maybe 1 foot lengths, too.
Price might have been $5 (wasn't taking notes)
You'd think it would all be in one place but it was not !
But the point is, there was little or no savings on getting the shorter pieces.
You'd be better off getting the 6..8 foot material, and having some for your next project (or to give away).
Next time I'm in the store, I'll write down accurate prices and lengths, but for now just be aware.
Shop around if you are in the market for all thread.
Here's the hand crank I have. It was originally on a 10 foot fiberglass dish.
It actually works very well, even on a heavy fiberglass dish.
Notches are sawed into the inner tube where it lines up with the outer tube for your satellite positions.
It actually works very well, even on a heavy fiberglass dish.
Notches are sawed into the inner tube where it lines up with the outer tube for your satellite positions.
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Mine had 2 of these Hand Cranks, it's still got the one for elevation on it. The best device ever made (at the time), was an actuator! I had a list, 13 and 1/2 turns to get from Satcom3 to whatever, 26 and 3/4 turns to get from Satcom3 to another one further over, etc., etc.... Made many repeat trips out to the dish to peak the sparklies out of the picture, even in the rain.. Believe it or not, I was slim and weighed about 165 back then. Now I'm fat and weigh about 255, must not be getting enough exercise? Those were the days!!!!
Al
Al
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